• Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland: “Russia’s attendance at this summit was like calling an arsonist to a meeting of firefighters”.
• The ministers discussed food and energy crises for two days on the Indonesian island of Bali.

MONTREAL: Canada criticised Russia on Saturday for attending a G20 finance ministers gathering while still being embroiled in its invasion of Ukraine.

The financial leaders discussed the food and energy crises for two days on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, while blaming Russian technocrats of making matters worse.

Participants were split about Russia’s war and didn’t come to a consensus.

According to Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, her country objected to Russia’s attendance at the meeting.

From Bali, she called a news conference and said, “Russia’s attendance at this summit was like calling an arsonist to a meeting of firefighters.”

The illegal invasion of Ukraine and its economic repercussions, which are being felt by everyone, are entirely and completely Russia’s fault, according to Freeland.

Freeland, who is also Canada’s deputy prime minister and of Ukrainian descent, said: “We were clear and unequivocal that Russia’s participation was inappropriate and frankly, just stupid.”

She made the case that the Russian technocrats supporting the war started by President Vladimir Putin are just as much a part of war crimes as the generals battling Ukraine on the front lines.

Freeland defended Canada’s choice to permit the return of a turbine to Germany after it had been fixed there for use in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline carrying Russian gas to Europe. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has sharply denounced this choice.

“Germany and many of our European neighbours are facing very severe energy issues. Canada also acknowledges that, the minister added.

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