1Berita – Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the extraordinary G20 summit, the first since the invasion of Ukraine. The summit, hosted by India, the current G20 chair, took place amid Israel’s aggression against Palestine on Wednesday (22/11). In his address, Putin touched upon the Russia-Ukraine negotiation process and the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
“Russia has never rejected peaceful negotiations with Ukraine. It’s not Russia, but Ukraine, that openly announced their withdrawal from the negotiation process,” Putin stated on the official Russian website.
Putin’s presence at the G20 marked the first since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. In the G20 summit last September, Putin was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
In the previous year, in 2021, Putin again delegated Lavrov to represent him at the G20 in Bali.
On this occasion, Putin expressed that war and loss of life are shocking to everyone. He then referred to the events in Ukraine in 2014, known as the Maidan Revolution.
He described the incidents that year as a “bloody coup of the Kiev regime against its own people in Donbass.” Putin also drew parallels between the events in Ukraine nine years ago and the current aggression in Palestine.
“Doesn’t it surprise you? Aren’t you surprised by the destruction of civilians in Palestine and the Gaza Strip right now?” Putin questioned.
Putin also mentioned doctors in Gaza being forced to operate on children without anesthesia due to a shortage of medical supplies caused by Israel’s blockade.
“Aren’t you surprised that the UN Secretary-General said that Gaza has turned into a very large grave for children?” Putin added.
Palestine has gained global attention after Israel launched its aggression on October 7. They also declared war against the Hamas militia.
Israel has imposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip and severely restricted the entry of humanitarian aid. The residents and medical facilities are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
Throughout the aggression, Israel has targeted civilians and civilian objects. As a result of these attacks, over 14,000 lives, including approximately 7,000 children, have been lost in Palestine.
