MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the Group of 20 leading economies, acknowledging the tragedy of the war in Ukraine and expressing willingness to participate in peace talks with Kyiv.
Putin’s deployment of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 sparked Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two and the most severe confrontation between Russia and the West since the depths of the Cold War.
Speaking to G20 leaders for the first time since the war began, Putin responded to some leaders’ shock over Russia’s “aggression” in Ukraine, stating that military actions are always a tragedy and that efforts should be made to stop it. He also confirmed that Russia has not rejected peace talks with Ukraine.
A senior Russian official stated on Tuesday that Moscow could not coexist with the current government in Kyiv and would continue its special military operation to “demilitarise” Ukraine. In response, Ukraine has pledged to keep fighting until all Russian soldiers have left its territory, with support from its Western allies.
In addition to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, Moscow controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory, claiming it as part of Russia. Ukraine’s counter-offensive against well-dug in Russian forces has not yielded significant gains this year.
Putin had previously skipped G20 summits in New Delhi and Nusa Dua, Indonesia, sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He addressed the 2021 and 2020 summits from Moscow and last attended a G20 gathering in person in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Gareth Jones)
