Biden: "Russia Must Be Expelled"... Will It Be Kicked Out of G20 After G8?

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden, visiting Europe for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stated on the 24th (local time) that Russia should be expelled from the Group of Twenty (G20). He reiterated a warning that the U.S. would respond immediately if Russia uses chemical weapons in this war.

According to the White House, President Biden answered "Yes" when asked at a press conference held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, whether Russia should be expelled from the G20, adding that it depends on the G20. He also confirmed that this issue was discussed at the NATO summit that day. Russia was expelled from the Group of Eight (G8) after forcibly annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 but remains a member of the G20. The G20 summit will be held this November in Bali, Indonesia.

President Biden also issued warnings about the possibility of Russia using chemical weapons. He said, "It would trigger a response," adding, "The response would vary depending on the type of use." Regarding the possibility of China providing military and economic support to Russia, he stated, "I have had very direct conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping," expressing hope that China would not get involved.

On the same day, President Biden attended consecutive summits of NATO, the Group of Seven (G7), and the European Union (EU), discussing the prolonged Ukraine crisis with leaders of major countries. He announced additional sanctions targeting Russia's State Duma (the lower house of the Federal Assembly), as well as plans for humanitarian aid to Ukraine amounting to $1 billion and a proposal to accept 100,000 refugees.

However, despite the gathering of more than 30 heads of state, some assessments suggest it was a day that highlighted the limitations of sanctions against Russia. Jeff Short, senior researcher at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, pointed out, "Despite all sanctions, a major loophole is oil and gas," noting that billions of dollars continue to flow into Russia because of this. The EU, which is highly dependent on Russian energy, still hesitates to impose embargoes.

The Washington Post (WP) reported that amid unclear impacts of existing sanctions on the Russian economy, the White House is exploring ways to dramatically expand sanctions, including so-called 'secondary sanctions' targeting global companies that do business with Russia.

Expelling Russia from the G20 is also expected to be difficult. In 2014, calls for Russia's expulsion led by the chair country Australia were met with opposition from Russia's allies, including the BRICs group?Brazil, India, China, and South Africa?resulting in failure. At that time, these countries issued a statement with Russia declaring, "All members are equal."

This time as well, China has publicly opposed the move, stating, "No member has the right to expel another member." Brazil declared early on that it would not take sides regarding the Ukraine crisis. India abstained from the United Nations Security Council statement condemning Russia, along with China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.