Putin walks out of G20 summit ‘to go to sleep’

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putin leaves g20
Russian President Vladimir Putin has left the G20 summit in Brisbane early after he came under intense pressure from the West over Moscow’s alleged support for separatist fights in eastern Ukraine.

The two-day summit, which gathered the leaders of the world’s largest economies in Brisbane, ended on Sunday evening, with Putin exiting the Australian city hours earlier.

Putin said his decision to fly home had nothing to do with tensions over Ukraine, saying he had a long flight and wanted to catch up on some sleep ahead of a full day’s work on Monday.
“We need nine hours to fly from here to Vladivostok and another nine hours from Vladivostok to Moscow,” he said in comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.

“Then we need to get home and return to work on Monday. There is a need to sleep at least four to five hours.”

The agenda of the summit focused on economic growth but was, to some extent, overshadowed by the tension over Ukraine.

Leaders at the event, who included US President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, committed to reform measures aimed at lifting their collective growth by an extra 2.1 percent by 2018.

“This will add more than $2 trillion to the global economy and create millions of jobs,” the leaders said in the summit communique.

The fact that the Russian President left before the official communique announcement could be seen as a snub, Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas, reporting from Brisbane, said.

“But it has been the case that he himself was snubbed by Western leaders,” Thomas said.

Russia accused of bullying

On Saturday, in unusually frank language between two leaders, Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, was reported to have told Putin as they shook hands to “get out of Ukraine”.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was among other leaders who publicly criticized Russia, accusing it, of “bullying a smaller state in Europe” and warning that Moscow would face further sanctions if it continues “destabilizing Ukraine”.

Putin, in remarks made before he left, thanked Tony Abbott for hosting the event, despite the Australian prime minister threatening to confront him over the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in July.

The West says the Malaysia Airlines plane was downed by pro-Russian rebels, using a missile supplied by Russia. Moscow denies the charges.

The plane was carrying 298 people, including 38 Australian citizens and residents.

“This year, the G20 has delivered real, practical outcomes and, because of the efforts that the G20 has made, this year, culminating in the last 48 hours, people right around the world are going to be better off,” Abbott said in his closing remarks.

Al Jazeera

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9 responses to “Putin walks out of G20 summit ‘to go to sleep’”

  1. The fabric of Humankind is being ripped to pieces. Too many hands are pulling in too many different directions.
    Some of these hands are well visible others instead are not visible at all.
    Some pull in the name of everyone and some instead want all knots in that fabric to be aligned with all other knots while there are also those who want to offer that fabric to a Tailor to turn it into a religious toga.
    Today, the survival of that fabric is at risk.
    As soon as possible the focus of the public opinion must change and unify those people who want to save the whole fabric against those who instead for selfish motives are about to destroy it. Today like never before in history technology offers the means to do it.
    It will be useless to apply bandages and wait out the sorts of a mortal wound. After 9/11, it will take well planned, gradual and progressive changes with an end game in sight visible for everyone.
    Even before introducing new laws Humanity must be able to look in the mirror and establish new values that this time won’t be corrupted or dictated by the “value” of money.

    Allegory:
    “Circle of Equality”
    At the foundation of a long lasting social system it must be set a priority of values and, in a system of values, Reason is at the center of the “Circle of the Stronger”.
    Imagine, running along the perimeter of a strange circle: the mouse killed by the cat, the cat killed by the lion, the lion killed by the man, the man killed by the bacteria, the bacteria killed by the white cells of the mouse. The survival of each one depends on the survival of those on their sides and that of the entire Circle.
    Then,
    Above all written laws there must be one Mutual Trust that every action will always satisfy the needs of the Circle well before those of any Individual.

    http://www.wavevolution.org/en/humanwaves.html

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Is that a new religion? 😉

  2. MekensehParty Avatar
    MekensehParty

    It’s winter and the bear needs his sleep
    On the other side the West and China are slowly but surely moving closer leaving Russia in its frost

    1. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-11/18/c_133798459.htm
      China press – 1 hour ago following the G20…

      A close look at the deals and China has pulled the rug from under Americas TPP – signing a Free Trade deal with Americas allied partner; Australian that gives them favored status over that of the US… At the same time almost all ASEAN members & South Korea have signaled running with China’s FTAAP.

      http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2014/11/10/beijing-promoted-ftaap-will-delay-tpp-driving-us-companies-asean-fta-benefits.html

      And regarding that “environmental deal” given to the US…
      http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2014/11/17/How-China-and-Russia-Out-Maneuvered-Obama-Asia

      1. MekensehParty Avatar
        MekensehParty

        kudos

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          Like an old song …
          ‘It’s time to change partners again …’ 🙂
          The world has so many people they can’t even sort themselves out.

          1. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            That’s what the free world should look like, peoples of all nationalities trading goods and spreading the wealth all over the dance floor. A free, open and democratic China is no threat to America, it’s actually the partner we want and need in Asia among others (Don’t want Rajiv to be upset that I don’t want to dance with him).

          2. 5thDrawer Avatar

            Happy thought indeed. But another billion scrabbling for food, and a closet in a high-rise, are not helping those pollution figures either. One reason Canada dived out of Kyoto … the impossibility of meeting ‘goals’ always discussed but which won’t be met unless there’s a lot of latex being handed out. 😉
            It’s good for the ‘politburos’ of 300 or so, of course. The policy-makers know their charts and graphs.

          3. Completely agree. Dances are more enjoyable when more people participate – and everyone feels free to enjoy each others company without jealousy creeping in or awkwardness of comparing dancing abilities…

            Most of the issues (around South China sea) is made worse with threats and the unnecessary fear that this causes. National pride doesnt make it easier either…

            China just wants to have clear safe sea routes in & out that can’t be blockaded. In the areas where oil/gas (may) exist – I can understand countries like Japan & Vietnam wanting energy sources. I’m sure joint development using China’s capital would be the best approach. There is nothing better than a good win-win. The challenge looks tied to stupid bureaucratic interpretation of waters located a certain distance (I think 200 nautical miles) off a nations official coastline. If the countries all agree to joint venture development of resources and legal limitations to imposing blockades and presence of military… than it all becomes manageable. Everyone benefits and can enjoy a dance.

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