MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that, by imposing sanctions on Moscow, the U.S. had not only violated the principles of the G20 and other trade institutions, but also international law.
“[The sanctions] run counter to the very principle of G20 activities, Putin told Russian news agency Itar-Tass ahead of the G20 Summit, which starts on Saturday in Brisbane, Australia. ”They run counter to international law, because sanctions may be introduced only through the United Nations and its Security Council.”
Putin also confirmed that the sanctions had indeed done damage to Russia’s economy, but said that they had hurt the sanction imposer as well.
The sanctions were imposed by Western powers after Russia's involvement in tensions in eastern Ukraine, and its annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
According to Putin’s statement, the U.S. was undermining “the entire system of international economic relations” and its sanctions were “crudely violating principles” of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, as well.
“I do hope, and I proceed from the understanding that, in the end, the awareness of this will prevail and bygones will be bygones,” Putin said.
Putin stated that he himself would not bring up the topic of sanctions during the G20 Summit, deeming it “useless.” However, if the subject were to be mentioned, he would speak.
The conflict in Ukraine’s east has escalated since pro-separatist elections in the region on November 2. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending in troops and weapons to the rebels in the eastern part of the country.
At least 3,600 people died and 8,700 people were wounded during the conflict between mid-April and Oct. 6, the UN Human Rights Office said in a report last month.
The Group of Twenty, known as the G20, is a forum of governments and central banks from 20 major economies, including 19 individual countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States—and the European Union.
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