Ukrainian Canadians call on Ottawa to lead campaign to kick Russia out of G20
Global News
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress president said Russia is using the G20 as a platform to lie about its reasons for invading Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress wants Canada to up the pressure on Vladimir Putin’s regime and lead a global charge to get Russia expelled from the G20.
Congress president Alexandra Chyczij has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to take steps to expel Russia from the forum of leading world economies.
Chyczij said Russia is using the G20 as a platform to lie about its reasons for invading Ukraine.
The congress is concerned that if Putin is allowed to attend the G20 heads of state and government meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in November it would send the wrong message and undermine the G20’s credibility.
It would also make it difficult for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the summit as a guest.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly will attend the G20 meeting of foreign ministers in Indonesia this week, even though her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov is also expected to attend.
Joly told The Canadian Press that she would not shake Lavrov’s hand and plans to use the opportunity to call out Russian lies about the invasion.
In March, Joly joined others in walking out of a United Nations meeting in Geneva when Lavrov, whom Canada had brought sanctions against days earlier, began speaking.