NUSA DUA, INDONESIA, Nov 15 (FD): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations on Tuesday that now was the time to stop Russia’s war in his country under a peace plan he has proposed.
He spoke by video link to leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations who have gathered for a summit on the Indonesian island of Bali that is overshadowed by the war in Ukraine and worries over global inflation, food and energy security.
Zelenskiy said the war should be ended “justly and on the basis of the UN Charter and international law”.
He called for restoring “radiation safety” with regard to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, introducing price restrictions on Russian energy resources, and expanding a grain export initiative. He also called for all Ukrainian prisoners to be released.
“Please choose your path for leadership – and together we will surely implement the peace formula,” he said.
The summit opened earlier in the day with a plea by Indonesian President Joko Widodo for unity and concrete action to mend the global economy despite deep rifts over the war.
“We have no other option, collaboration is needed to save the world,” he said. “G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery. We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another cold war.”
The G20, which includes countries ranging from Brazil to India, Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and 60% of its population.
A positive sign on the eve of the summit was a three-hour bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in which the two leaders pledged more frequent communications despite many differences.
