Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Rishi Sunak brands Russia a ‘pariah state’ as Putin’s war overshadows G20 summit

Rishi Sunak brands Russia a ‘pariah state’ as Putin’s war overshadows G20 summit

The Prime Minister plans to use the first summit session on Tuesday to confront Moscow’s representative Sergei Lavrov

Rishi Sunak has said Russia is becoming a “pariah state” as he prepares to “unequivocally condemn” Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine at the G20 summit.

The Prime Minister is in Bali with fellow leaders of the world’s major economies, and was planning to use the first summit session on Tuesday to confront Russia’s representative Sergei Lavrov with allies.

President Vladimir Putin was long expected to attend the meeting, but is sending his foreign minister in his place, as he continues to suffer military setbacks and unanimous condemnation from Western powers.

Speaking to reporters travelling with him to Indonesia, Mr Sunak said: “It’s telling that Putin is not there.

“Russia is becoming a pariah state and he’s not there to take responsibility for what he’s doing.”

Asked how he will engage with Mr Lavrov at the summit, the Prime Minister said: “I’m going to take the opportunity to unequivocally condemn the Russian state and Putin for their abhorrent and illegal war.

“I will do that in the hall, I will do that if I see him elsewhere and that’s the right thing to do.”

The G20 leaders’ summit is not only the first since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion in February, but the first in the group’s history held in the shadow of a major European war instigated by one of its members.


Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Rishi Sunak during a meeting at the Art Cafe Bumbu Bali in Bali


The gathering looks likely to be dominated by the fallout from the conflict, which has caused and exacerbated global economic woes, driving up food and energy prices worldwide.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the event virtually.

Asked if he would encourage Kyiv to enter peace talks, Mr Sunak said that is a question for the Ukrainians.

“It’s a bit unfair to say to the Ukrainians: ‘look you should be negotiating’ when your country and your civilian infrastructure is being relentlessly bombed, as it is currently.

“So our job is to continue to help the Ukrainians defend themselves, and put themselves in the strongest possible position, at a time of their choosing, to bring a negotiated settlement.

“But nothing that Russia is doing at the moment would suggest that they are committed or interested in that approach right now.”

China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday joined America’s Joe Biden in condemning Russian threats of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the White House said.

The leaders of the two superpowers agreed that “a nuclear war should never be fought” and cannot be won, “and underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” according to US officials.

Beijing has given a muted reaction to Mr Putin’s invasion but has called for a negotiated peace agreement. In September, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said that Beijing “supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis”.
Volodymyr Zelensky visiting the newly-liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson on Monday


Foreign Secretary James Cleverly earlier told LBC Radio that Mr Putin “will listen to what the Chinese say” as Beijing remains one of Moscow’s last significant international allies. “China has a huge influence on the world stage,” he added.

Separately, the head of the CIA met with his Russian intelligence counterpart in Istanbul on Monday to underscore the consequences if Moscow were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed that Bill Burns met with his Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, on Monday to “communicate with Russia on managing risk”.

In other developments, Mr Zelensky visited the southern city of Kherson on Monday after his troops liberated the territory from Russian occupation.

Mr Zelensky shook hands with soldiers and waved to civilians looking out from surrounding flats as he was escorted by bodyguards three days after his troops swept into the city.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Bali


He told soldiers they had "proved it was impossible to kill Ukraine", then held a minute's silence for the dead.

Russia’s foreign minister Mr Lavrov, 72, denied reports that he had been hospitalised with a heart condition in Bali prior to the G20 conference.

Associated Press, citing Indonesian officials, said that Mr Lavrov had been taken to hospital after arriving on the island for the summit.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the reports as “the height of fakery”.

Ms Zakharova posted a video of Lavrov, President Putin's foreign minister since 2004, sitting outdoors on a patio, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and reading documents.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
×