Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland said she left the G20 meeting in protest at Russia’s participation, Reuters reports.

Freeland wrote on Twitter that Canada and several other countries walked out of the meeting when Russia “tried to interfere.”

– The democracies of the world will not sit idly by and watch Russian aggression and war crimes, writes Freeland Twitter.

Freeland attached a photo of several international officials, including European Central Bank Governor Christine Lagarde. It is not known if the representatives in the photo are those who left the meeting.

– Will not sit idly by and watch Russian aggression

A British Treasury spokesman who Reuters took the floor to say that representatives of Britain, the United States and Canada left the meeting when Russia was due to speak.

– We will continue to work with our allies to condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine, and to work for stronger international coordination to punish Russia, the spokesperson said.

Britain’s Finance Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed that the three countries had walked out of the meeting, Reuters reports. Among the representatives of the British delegation is the governor of the central bank, Andrew Bailey.

According to sources from Washington Postseveral countries, including Ukraine, the United States and the EU, left the room when the Russian finance minister began to speak.

According to Reuters, citing the Russian agency Ria, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov asked the other G20 countries not to let politics enter the work of the group. Ria also writes, according to Reuters, that Russia has received support from other member states.

Several countries have previously pleaded for Russia to be excluded from the meeting, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 this year.

The war drew widespread international condemnation. Both because the invasion itself is considered a violation of international law and because there have been numerous detailed reports of war crimes.

Difficult circumstances

Indonesia holds the presidency of the G20. The country’s finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, summed up the meeting on Wednesday night, saying it was an unusual meeting.

– The meeting was held under difficult circumstances due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Several member states condemn the war, saying it is unprovoked and unjustifiable, she said.

The fact that some participants left the meeting when Russia was due to speak was not a surprise, Indrawati said. But that did not disrupt the discussion, and that all member states stressed the importance of continuing cooperation in the G20 despite condemnation of Russia’s war in Ukraine, she said.

Wants Russia kicked out

US Finance Minister Janet Yellen reportedly announced in advance that she would leave if Russia joined the meeting, writes The Guardian.

Yellen has, according to Reuterspreviously advocated the expulsion of Russia from the G20.

– President Biden has made it clear that things cannot be business as usual for Russia at any of the international financial institutions, Yellen said earlier.

At 5:00 p.m., Reuters announced that a Russian representative would be physically present at the G20 meeting. On Tuesday, Russia said Finance Minister Siluanov would lead the Russian delegation.

The G20 is an international summit attended by 19 countries and the EU. Challenges related to the global economy are discussed in the forum.

The US, Canada, EU and UK have imposed strong financial sanctions on Russia, politicians, banks, businesses and Russian oligarchs. It also has several other countries inside and outside the G20.

At the same time, countries like China, which is also a member, continued to trade with Russia after the war began.