Russia says West ‘destabilised’ G20 talks, tried to force joint statement on Ukraine
The Hindu
G20 Finance Ministers failed to agree a joint statement on the global economy at talks in India, after China sought to water down references to the Ukraine conflict
Russia on February 25 accused the West of destabilising the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in India by trying to force through a joint statement on Ukraine that stalled because of disagreements.
"We regret that the activities of the G20 continue to be destabilised by the Western collective and used in an anti-Russian... way," the Foreign Ministry said.
Moscow accused the United States, the European Union and the G7 nations of having "disrupted the adoption of collective decisions" by trying to impose their "diktat" by what they said was "clear blackmail".
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Their aim had been to impose their interpretation of the Ukraine conflict in the joint statement by means of lobbying and "ultimatums", said the ministry statement.
The ministry called on the West to "renounce its destructive policy as soon as possible, to acknowledge the objective realities of a multipolar world".
"The G20 must remain an economic forum rather than encroaching on the security sphere," it said.