Russian officials allege being rebuked at G20 Finance Ministers meet in Bengaluru

The officials alleged that those who said it was from Germany and Canada. German officials have denied saying anything to that effect, while no response could be received from the Canadian side.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das and other dignitaries during the 1st G20 Finance Ministers meet. (Photo | PTI)
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das and other dignitaries during the 1st G20 Finance Ministers meet. (Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI: Russian officials have alleged that they were rebuked during a session in Bengaluru during the just concluded G20 Finance Ministers meet.

"We know who you are, where you live and where to find you and we won’t forget you are personally responsible for the conflict in Ukraine," is what the Russian officials have alleged was told to them during one of the sessions during the meet. They allege that those who said it was from  Germany and Canada.

German officials have denied saying anything to that effect, while no response could be received from the Canadian side.

"When the West talks of peace, they should be a little more responsible in the way they speak with others. This way of speaking, which sounds like a threat, in such a high-profile event isn’t what we or anyone expected," according to Russian officials.

No such incidents were reported in the earlier events that India has been hosting under its G20 Presidency. The next upcoming event that is going to be high-profile is the G20 Foreign Ministers meet that will take place in Delhi on March 1st and 2nd. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov is expected to attend this event and so is the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.

Meanwhile, earlier on Friday, Blinken in an interview with the Atlantic had said that India among other nations has the influence to directly engage with Russia and added that he urged New Delhi along with China to persuade Moscow against using tactical nuclear weapons.

"There was language coming out of Moscow that suggested that he would look to the use of tactical nuclear weapons. But we urged, I think successfully, that other countries might have a little bit more influence with Russia – like India and China – to engage him directly about their absolute opposition to any use of nuclear weapons," said Blinken.

Blinken also said that India was on a trajectory away from alignment with Russia and moving into partnership with the US and other countries.

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