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Discord over Russia’s war on Ukraine and festering tensions between the US and China are proving to be ominous backdrops for world leaders gathering in Indonesia’s tropical Bali island for a summit of the Group of 20 biggest economies starting Tuesday.
With recession looming as central banks fight decades-high inflation partly brought on by the war, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that ending the conflict would be the « single best thing that we can do for the global economy. »
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, writing in the newspaper The Telegraph, called Russia a « rogue state » and slammed its president, Vladimir Putin, for staying away.
« Leaders take responsibility. They show up. Yet, at the G-20 summit in Indonesia this week, one seat will remain vacant, » wrote Sunak, who took office last month. « The man who is responsible for so much bloodshed in Ukraine and economic strife around the world will not be there to face his peers. He won’t even attempt to explain his actions. »
Pressures have been mounting as Russian attacks destroy vital infrastructure in Ukraine, adding to miseries in damaged cities just as winter cold takes hold.
The G-20 meetings provide another opportunity for leaders to show unity in their support for Ukraine, discussions that are inseparable from those on how we can strengthen our collective security, » Sunak said.
