'Shaken by Ukraine war, but not by Gaza deaths?...' Russia's Putin asks G20 leaders in meet hosted by PM Modi

Russian President Vladimir Putin drew parallels between the Israel-Palestine conflict and Russia's situation with Ukraine, challenging his counterparts on their reactions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He emphasized the need for collective consensus decisions in the changing world order, advocating for open international cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in a special G20 summit through a video conference, drawing parallels between the Israel-Palestine conflict and Russia's situation with Ukraine. The summit, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took place after Putin's absence at the in-person G20 Summit in New Delhi in September, where he was represented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Initiated by Prime Minister Modi's announcement on September 10, the virtual summit aimed to address key issues, discuss outcomes and review developments since the New Delhi G20 Summit in September.

During the meeting, President Putin highlighted the Israel-Palestine war, questioning his colleagues on their reactions to the civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and the distressing circumstances of children undergoing surgery without anaesthesia in local hospitals. In challenging his counterparts, he juxtaposed their concerns about "Russia's aggression in Ukraine" with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"Does it shake you that the Secretary of the UN said that the Gaza Strip has turned into a huge children's cemetery," he asked his colleagues who, in speeches before his, said that they were shaken by "Russia's aggression in Ukraine," Putin asked.

Putin emphasized the need for collective consensus decisions in the current global situation, stressing that changes in the world order must be acknowledged. Advocating for open international cooperation, he expressed Russia's support for restarting the World Trade Organization (WTO) and increasing the involvement of developing economies in international financial institutions.