JOHANNESBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin fired multiple shots at Western countries on the first day of an economic summit in South Africa, using a pre-recorded speech aired on giant screens on Tuesday to make “a big deal” against his country. condemned the “unlawful sanctions.” He threatened to permanently cut off Ukrainian grain exports.
Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant in connection with the Ukraine war, did not visit Johannesburg for a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies.
Instead, he will participate remotely in a three-day bloc meeting that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
His 17-minute pre-recorded speech centered on the war in Ukraine and Russia's relations with the West, but South African officials said it was the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic. Although he said East-West friction should not dominate the upcoming BRICS summit, he hoped to steer the conversation away from the deteriorating geopolitical climate.
Sitting at his desk, with a white notebook in front of him and a Russian flag behind him, Putin said that a wartime agreement to facilitate Ukrainian grain shipments, vital to the world's food supply, would ease restrictions on Russian food. He said he would not resume until his conditions were relaxed. and agricultural products will be fulfilled.
Western attempts to economically punish and isolate Russia by sending troops to Ukraine are “an illegal act of sanctions, an illegal freezing of the assets of a sovereign state, and essentially violate all basic norms of free trade. “It is tantamount to trampling on the rules,” the Russian leader said. he claimed.
The Russian government withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July and stepped up drone and missile attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, which is home to one of the ports covered by the controlled passage agreement.
This initiative is credited with helping to curb the soaring prices of wheat, vegetable oil, and other food products worldwide. Despite Russia's “deliberately obstructed” exports of grain and fertilizer, Putin said his country “does not have the capacity to replace Ukraine with grain, both commercially and in grant aid to poorer countries.” ” (according to the official translation of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly). Summit.
Although the United States and other Western countries have not directly targeted Russia's agricultural exports, moves to restrict Russia's access to international financial payment systems under some sanctions have made it difficult for the country to sell food, fertilizer and other products. It is becoming difficult to bring it to market.
“Keeping in mind these facts, we have refused to extend the so-called agreement since July 18,” Putin said.
“We are ready to return to it, but only if all obligations towards the Russian side are truly fulfilled.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping also brought an atmosphere of confrontation to the Johannesburg summit, saying in a speech read on his behalf by a Chinese government minister minutes after Putin's speech, “Some country is obsessed with maintaining hegemony.'' However, they are going out of their way to maintain their country's hegemony.” Paralyzing emerging markets and developing countries. ”
“Anyone who grows rapidly becomes a target for containment. Anyone who catches up becomes a target for sabotage,” Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said during President Xi's speech.
That was clearly a reference to the growing economic friction between the United States and China.
Xi is in South Africa for a summit meeting and spoke with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa early Tuesday.
He did not attend the first day's business forum, where the other three BRICS leaders spoke in person and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivered an address on behalf of the country. The reason for the Chinese leader's absence was not disclosed.
But Mr. Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Ramaphosa were all scheduled to meet over dinner at a luxury mansion on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Officials said President Putin was also scheduled to participate virtually.
The leaders were scheduled to discuss the possibility of expanding BRICS, the most important topic of the three-day summit. The two leaders are scheduled to reconvene for key talks at the summit on Wednesday.
The five BRICS countries, which include Saudi Arabia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, already home to 40% of the world's population and account for more than 30% of the world's economic output, and more than 20 countries have applied to join. It is said that there is United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi were scheduled to attend the summit.
Although the current five members must agree on criteria for new members before any country can join, BRICS expansion is seen as a policy favored by China and Russia amid worsening relations with the West. .
Brazil, Russia, India and China formed the bloc in 2009, and South Africa was added in 2010.
“We are happy that more than 20 countries are knocking on the door of BRICS. China hopes to see more participation in the BRICS cooperation mechanism,” Wang said during President Xi's speech.
In total, about 1,200 delegates from the five BRICS countries and dozens of other developing countries will gather in South Africa's largest city, Ramaphosa said, with some summits expected to include more than 40 heads of state. It is said that
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was also scheduled to attend.
Summit organizer South Africa has pushed back against the characterization of BRICS as leaning in an anti-Western direction under the influence of Russia and China, but said the summit was a forum for developing countries' frustration with the global institution. One thing is clear.
That misfortune is directed at institutions seen as Western-led, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, which many countries in the Global South feel are not in their interests.
During a visit to South Africa's capital Pretoria for talks with President Xi earlier on Tuesday, Ramaphosa expressed “China's support for South Africa and Africa's calls for reform of global governing bodies, particularly the United Nations Security Council.” He said he was looking for it.
Despite being home to nearly 2 billion people, Africa and South America have no permanent representatives on the Security Council.
The US and EU will be closely monitoring events in Johannesburg, but the long list of countries lining up to join BRICS means the EU's call for a reorganization of global governance structures will be on the minds of many. This suggests that it may be stuck.
Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant in connection with the Ukraine war, did not visit Johannesburg for a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies.
Instead, he will participate remotely in a three-day bloc meeting that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
His 17-minute pre-recorded speech centered on the war in Ukraine and Russia's relations with the West, but South African officials said it was the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic. Although he said East-West friction should not dominate the upcoming BRICS summit, he hoped to steer the conversation away from the deteriorating geopolitical climate.
Sitting at his desk, with a white notebook in front of him and a Russian flag behind him, Putin said that a wartime agreement to facilitate Ukrainian grain shipments, vital to the world's food supply, would ease restrictions on Russian food. He said he would not resume until his conditions were relaxed. and agricultural products will be fulfilled.
Western attempts to economically punish and isolate Russia by sending troops to Ukraine are “an illegal act of sanctions, an illegal freezing of the assets of a sovereign state, and essentially violate all basic norms of free trade. “It is tantamount to trampling on the rules,” the Russian leader said. he claimed.
The Russian government withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July and stepped up drone and missile attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, which is home to one of the ports covered by the controlled passage agreement.
Expanding
This initiative is credited with helping to curb the soaring prices of wheat, vegetable oil, and other food products worldwide. Despite Russia's “deliberately obstructed” exports of grain and fertilizer, Putin said his country “does not have the capacity to replace Ukraine with grain, both commercially and in grant aid to poorer countries.” ” (according to the official translation of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly). Summit.
Although the United States and other Western countries have not directly targeted Russia's agricultural exports, moves to restrict Russia's access to international financial payment systems under some sanctions have made it difficult for the country to sell food, fertilizer and other products. It is becoming difficult to bring it to market.
“Keeping in mind these facts, we have refused to extend the so-called agreement since July 18,” Putin said.
“We are ready to return to it, but only if all obligations towards the Russian side are truly fulfilled.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping also brought an atmosphere of confrontation to the Johannesburg summit, saying in a speech read on his behalf by a Chinese government minister minutes after Putin's speech, “Some country is obsessed with maintaining hegemony.'' However, they are going out of their way to maintain their country's hegemony.” Paralyzing emerging markets and developing countries. ”
“Anyone who grows rapidly becomes a target for containment. Anyone who catches up becomes a target for sabotage,” Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said during President Xi's speech.
That was clearly a reference to the growing economic friction between the United States and China.
Xi is in South Africa for a summit meeting and spoke with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa early Tuesday.
He did not attend the first day's business forum, where the other three BRICS leaders spoke in person and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivered an address on behalf of the country. The reason for the Chinese leader's absence was not disclosed.
But Mr. Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Ramaphosa were all scheduled to meet over dinner at a luxury mansion on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Officials said President Putin was also scheduled to participate virtually.
The leaders were scheduled to discuss the possibility of expanding BRICS, the most important topic of the three-day summit. The two leaders are scheduled to reconvene for key talks at the summit on Wednesday.
The five BRICS countries, which include Saudi Arabia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, already home to 40% of the world's population and account for more than 30% of the world's economic output, and more than 20 countries have applied to join. It is said that there is United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi were scheduled to attend the summit.
Although the current five members must agree on criteria for new members before any country can join, BRICS expansion is seen as a policy favored by China and Russia amid worsening relations with the West. .
Brazil, Russia, India and China formed the bloc in 2009, and South Africa was added in 2010.
“We are happy that more than 20 countries are knocking on the door of BRICS. China hopes to see more participation in the BRICS cooperation mechanism,” Wang said during President Xi's speech.
In total, about 1,200 delegates from the five BRICS countries and dozens of other developing countries will gather in South Africa's largest city, Ramaphosa said, with some summits expected to include more than 40 heads of state. It is said that
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was also scheduled to attend.
Summit organizer South Africa has pushed back against the characterization of BRICS as leaning in an anti-Western direction under the influence of Russia and China, but said the summit was a forum for developing countries' frustration with the global institution. One thing is clear.
That misfortune is directed at institutions seen as Western-led, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, which many countries in the Global South feel are not in their interests.
During a visit to South Africa's capital Pretoria for talks with President Xi earlier on Tuesday, Ramaphosa expressed “China's support for South Africa and Africa's calls for reform of global governing bodies, particularly the United Nations Security Council.” He said he was looking for it.
Despite being home to nearly 2 billion people, Africa and South America have no permanent representatives on the Security Council.
The US and EU will be closely monitoring events in Johannesburg, but the long list of countries lining up to join BRICS means the EU's call for a reorganization of global governance structures will be on the minds of many. This suggests that it may be stuck.