Brussels, Thursday, 24 March 2022
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden called for Russia's expulsion from the G20 group of nations, citing the country's ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Any action, however, "depends on the G20," according to Biden, who claimed it was discussed at his discussions with NATO and ally governments in Brussels. If there is no unanimity inside the council on Russia's withdrawal, Biden said he presented an alternative.
In that case, Biden suggested that Ukraine be permitted to observe G20 sessions.
Some of the world's most powerful economies are represented in the G20. After unilaterally seizing Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and began supporting separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine, Russia was kicked out of what was then known as the G8 in 2014.
The G8 has been reduced to the G7, which now consists of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Biden reiterated his warning to Russia against the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, adding that "we would respond if" Russian President Vladimir Putin used such weapons.
After previously warning of "serious consequences," he remained ambiguous about the nature of the response.
During a press conference at NATO headquarters, Biden said, "The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the usage."
In the face of Russia's war, Trump praised the transatlantic alliance's unity, saying it "has never, never been more united than it is today."
"As a result of his intervention in Ukraine, Putin is receiving the exact reverse of what he wanted. We achieved the same level of cooperation with the European Union and the G7's main democracies "Biden stated the following.
(Report by: The Decision Maker – International Relations editors in Brussels)
(Picture by: Wikipedia)
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