Kallas: Putin's attendance at G20 summit normalizes war crimes

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that a possible attendance by Vladimir Putin at the G20 leaders' summit poses a risk: Russia's return to international forums may become a routine occurrence while the war in Ukraine continues.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Kallas said that the invitation of the Russian leader by the United States raises many serious questions. In her words, it creates a risk that "the war crimes that are currently taking place in Ukraine on a daily basis become normalized".

The comment was made after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta. According to Kallas, Lavrov was by no means constructive at this meeting. In this context, she recalled Lavrov's statement that Putin will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow.

Kallas noted that if Russia truly wanted peace, it would first and foremost stop the attacks that claim the lives of civilians.

According to her, Ukraine's allies should not take steps that would give Moscow grounds to believe that a rift is emerging between them. Kallas said that Russia believes time is on its side and has not taken a single step forward in negotiations, as it expects concessions from the West.