Eva Deschamps / November 23, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to think about how to end "the tragedy in Ukraine", he told a virtual G20 summit on Wednesday.
"Military operations are always a tragedy," said the Russian president in his first G20 statement since the start of his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Vladimir Putin took the opportunity to accuse Ukraine of preventing peace negotiations, which he would never have refused. Kiev demands the withdrawal of Russian troops as a condition for any peace talks.
Mr. Putin also drew attention to the Gaza Strip, asking other participants if they were not shocked by the many civilian deaths in the Palestinian enclave.
The Russian was absent from previous G20 summits, being represented by his Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, at the last meeting in New Delhi in September.
India, which currently chairs the group of the world's 20 biggest powers, has called for an extraordinary meeting on the Middle East.