Ukraine crisis preoccupies G-20 summit

Despite not being on the G-20 agenda the crisis in Ukraine hung heavy over the gathering of leaders from key developing and industrial countries Saturday.

With the meeting in its second and final day, President Obama talked Asia Pacific cooperation and Ukraine with the Australian and Japanese leaders. The leaders called on Russia to stop meddling in Ukraine. They expressed unity "in opposing Russia's purported annexation of Crimea and its actions to destabilize Eastern Ukraine."

They also called for "bringing to justice those responsible for the downing Malaysian flight 17" last July. Thirty-eight Australians were among the 298 people killed when the Malaysian airliner was shot down over war torn Eastern Ukraine.

Russia's Vladimir Putin is present at the summit but keeping a relatively low profile.

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Saturday met with Putin, telling him that Russia has two choices: either implement the Minsk cease fire and withdrawal agreement, or persist with destabilizing Ukraine and face the prospect of further economic sanctions.

Obama is meeting the five European Union leaders present in Brisbane to discuss Ukraine and possible new sanctions.

Putin told a German interviewer that the sanctions are harmful to the world economy and to Russia, and run counter to what the G-20 is trying to do to boost global growth.

Leaders of the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — also met on the sidelines of the Brisbane summit. A short statement issued afterwards made no mention of Ukraine.

The BRICS leaders — who have agreed to share their currency reserves and are setting up an infrastructure development bank— called on the United States to ratify long-delayed International Monetary Fund reforms which give greater voice to BRICS nations. The US, with the largest share of IMF votes, is the only country that has not yet approved the 2010 reforms.

Australian finance minister Joe Hockey says economic matters continue to be the central challenge for the G-20. "We can't rest," he said, "the world needs growth." Hockey said climate change and other issues should not overshadow what he called the real work of the summit.


USA today