US allies met with president Joe Biden in Brussels over the Ukraine crisis calling for Russia to be removed from the G20 and not attend the summit later this year. Germany and Italy were among the countries which held the view that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s plan to charge for Russian oil and gas in ruble would be in violation of their contracts.
“I raise the possibility if that can’t be done, if Indonesia and others do not agree, then we should in my view ask to have… Ukraine… attend the meetings as well,” Biden said after a meeting in Brussels with NATO. Russia is part of the G20 and would be expected to attend the summit if there was no invasion in Ukraine.
The group of seven world leaders warned Vladimir Putin against the use of chemical weapons and nuclear weapons against the people of Ukraine. There have been growing threats that Russia would resort to the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine following disinformation which came from China alleging that Ukraine and the US are working on chemical weapons in Ukraine. The allegations were dismissed by the White House.
Also read: Russia launches attack on Ukraine after Putin’s announcement
The heightened threat posed by Russia as the invasion of Ukraine continues has led US president Joe Biden to meet with members of the European Union and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to set up defences and come up with plans of how to respond if Russia resorts to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Despite suggestions that Russia could be banned from attending the G20 summit in Indonesia later this year, China has backed Vladimir Putin calling Russia an “important member”. Thursday 24 March marked a month since the invasion of Ukraine began. More than three million people have since been displaced by the crisis.
Source: Eyewitness News, Daily Maverick, The Denver Post, WIO News, Image from Daily Maverick of US President with European leaders in Brussels
