Ukrainian Zelensky addressed the G20 summit for the second time today. (File)
Nusa Dua, Indonesia:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told G20 leaders on Wednesday that there was a “terrorist state” among them, blaming Russia for a missile attack on Poland that killed two people.
Over a video link, Zelensky called the strike “a true statement by Russia for the G20 summit,” according to a copy of his speech that AFP viewed.
Poland has said there is no clear evidence as to who launched the missile, and US President Joe Biden said it was “unlikely” that it had been fired from Russia, which has denied involvement.
However, Zelensky was quick to point the finger at Russia, which launched a wave of attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday, leaving millions of homes without power.
He addressed the G20 summit for a second time on Wednesday, but several leaders had already left the Indonesian island of Bali, where the meeting is taking place.
Among them was Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who flew out Tuesday night.
Those who remained behind heard Zelensky say at the summit, “There is a terrorist state among you, and we are defending against it. That is the reality.”
Zelensky, who spoke to leaders via video link on Tuesday to push for an end to the war, called for a “quick response” to the strike in Poland.
But his allies have been proceeding with caution, with Biden saying a response would only come after an investigation.
“We’re going to make sure we find out exactly what happened… and then we’re going to collectively decide our next step,” he said after meeting the G7 and other allies on the sidelines of the summit.
He also said “preliminary information” suggested the missile was not launched from Russia.
“It is unlikely … that it was fired from Russia,” he said. “But we’ll see.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NewsMadura staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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