German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today again called on Russia to stop military aggression against Ukraine, DPA reported.
"Russia has started an illegal war. Now Russia must finally stop this aggression, which has led to terrible suffering in Europe," Merz said at the first working session of the G20 summit in South Africa, according to government sources.
He stressed that Russia has a responsibility to stop the huge impact of the war on the global economy. All other G20 members must also assume their responsibility, not only out of economic interest.
"We owe this to all the people of the world – "This is the biggest challenge for the G20," Merz told his colleagues.
The new US peace plan for Ukraine, which consists of 28 points, is the most important topic on the sidelines of the summit.
Russia is represented at the Johannesburg meeting by Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin, as Russian President Vladimir Putin is not there.
Several other countries also did not send their top leaders, including China and the United States. The United States is boycotting the meeting entirely.