The G-20 forum in Bali in October will focus on economic issues and not the war in Ukraine, she said, adding that she was aware of attempts to exclude Russia from the global economic club.
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“Not only the G-20, many organizations in the West are now trying to expel Russia,” Vorobieva said. “The West’s reaction is absolutely disproportionate.” She said that excluding Russia from the economic forum would make it more difficult for nations to solve global “economic problems”.
On March 22, Ukrainian officials evacuated people from Mariupol and Russian troops violently dispersed protesters in Kherson. (The Washington Post)
Vorobieva also praised Indonesia’s “firm position” and urged it not to give in to Western pressure. Jakarta has long had close ties with Moscow, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently told Japanese news magazine Nikkei Asia that he supports a ceasefire but sees economic sanctions as a bad tool.
Earlier this week, during a meeting with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Poland’s Economic Development and Technology Minister Piotr Nowak proposed expelling Russia from the G-20, he told reporters.
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White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said on Tuesday: “On the issue of the G-20…we believe that business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community cannot be business as usual.”
“As for certain institutions and certain decisions, we would like to consult with our allies and our partners in those institutions before making any further statements,” he said.
Russia’s membership in the Group of Eight, a smaller organization of leading industrialized nations, was suspended after Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that peace talks with Ukraine would continue, but he accused Ukraine of frequently changing its demands. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a late-night video address late Tuesday that the negotiations had been “very difficult”.
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Lavrov did not address the G-20 issue directly, but said Russia must ensure that it “never again” becomes economically dependent on a Western partner who “wakes up in a bad mood.”
He said that Russia demands equal treatment and that the war has increased “clarity” in Russia, prompting it to end dependence on the West in the future. “Of course, if they want to cooperate, we will not shy away from it if it is on an equal footing and in our interest,” Lavrov added.
However, any attempt to exclude Russia from the forum could be opposed by other nations. China on Wednesday called Russia an “important member” of the G-20.
“No member has the right to remove another country as a member. The G-20 should implement genuine multilateralism, strengthen unity and cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.
In Europe, where President Biden is traveling this week and likely to announce a new set of sanctions against Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said G-20 members must decide the issue but the priority is still to focus on the focus on building peace .
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“On the question of how to proceed with the WTO [World Trade Organization] and the G-20, it is imperative to discuss this issue with the countries involved and not decide individually,” Scholz said, according to Reuters.
“It is quite clear that we are busy with something other than coming together for such meetings. We urgently need a ceasefire,” he added.
Amar Nadhir and Mary Ilyushina contributed to this report.