Lula cuts short discussion on Ukraine, irking Europeans

European delegates at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Brazil were unhappy with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's decision to end talks and issue the group's final statement a day early to curtail prickly discussion on the war in Ukraine, sources said.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Nov 19 he regretted that the G-20 communique did not underscore Russia's responsibility in starting the Ukraine war, particularly on the 1,000th day of its full-scale invasion.

"It is too little when the G-20 cannot find the words to make it clear Russia is responsible," he said at the end of the two-day summit.

Wording on Ukraine has been thorny at G-20 meetings since the war began, because Russia and its allies are sitting at the table.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the Rio summit but was represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.