Ukraine demands G20 revoke Russia’s membership

Russia accuses the UK of orchestrating attack on Nord Stream pipelines amid claims Putin is suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a video linked session with the media following a meeting with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on October 31, 2022. (Photo by Sergei BOBYLYOV / SPUTNIK / AFP)

Ukraine has called for Vladimir Putin to be dis-invited from the G20 meeting in Bali and for Russia’s membership of the G20 to be cancelled.

The call for the strongest diplomatic isolation on the Russian President comes as the Kremlin said it was considering “further steps” after accusing Australia’s ally Britain of orchestrating the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September.

“Our intelligence services have data indicating that British military specialists were directing and coordinating the attack,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

“There is evidence that Britain is involved in sabotage, in a terrorist attack on vital energy infrastructure, not just Russian, but international.”

The Russian claims have been rejected by Britain as “detached from reality”.

A 10 Downing Street spokesman said Britain would not be drawn into “distractions which are part of the Russian playbook”.

But the increasing hostility is making the G20 meeting, scheduled for a fortnight’s time, a diplomatic flash point.

It takes place amid increasing rumours that the Russian President is seriously ill with Parkinsons and pancreatic cancer.

Emails from a Russian intelligence source seem to confirm the claims, according to the Sun newspaper, which has seen the correspondence.

“I can confirm he has been diagnosed with early stage Parkinson’s disease, but it’s already progressing,” the Russian security services insider claimed in the email, the Sun reports.

“This fact will be denied in every possible way and hidden.

“Putin is regularly stuffed with all kinds of heavy steroids and innovative painkilling injections to stop the spread of pancreatic cancer he was recently diagnosed with”.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Russia should be expelled from the G20 entirely, insisting that Mr Putin’s invitation has to be ripped up.

“Putin publicly acknowledged ordering missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure,” spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said, a day after Monday’s wave of Russian missile strikes left the capital Kyiv without electricity and water.

“With his hands stained in blood, he must not be allowed to sit at the table with world leaders.

“Putin’s invitation to Bali summit must be revoked, and Russia expelled from G20.”