Mr. Zelensky made an appearance in a video speech that was broadcast to the leaders who were gathered in Bali, Indonesia for the summit.
Although Russia is a member of the G20, President Putin has decided not to attend the summit in Bali and has instead sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in his place.
Additionally, Mr. Zelensky pleaded for an extension of an export contract for Ukrainian grain that was about to expire.
During his talk, Mr. Zelensky made the following statement: "I am convinced that now is the time when the destructive war in Russia must and can be stopped."
He outlined a number of different strategies, such as ensuring the safety of nuclear and food supplies, putting an end to the hostilities, and preventing an escalation in the situation.
He referred to the leaders on multiple occasions as the "G19," excluding Russia from that group.
The extension of the deal known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had been struck in July between the United Nations and Russia, was at the top of his list of requests.
It made certain that food exports that had been halted at Ukrainian ports due to the presence of Russian warships could proceed.
Since the beginning of the agreement, the United Nations reports that 10 million tonnes of grain and other types of food have been exported, which has prevented a global food crisis.
However, the offer is only valid until November 19th. Mr. Zelensky advocated for the continuation of the agreement indefinitely, "regardless of when the war is over."
In his proposal to broaden the scope of the deal to include additional ports in the Mykolaiv region, he stated that "the right to food is a fundamental right of every person in the world."
On Saturday, Russia stated that there had been no agreement reached regarding the extension of the deal.
In exchange for permitting Ukraine to ship out food, Russia has insisted that western sanctions be lifted so that Russia can export its own food and fertilizers to world markets without being hindered.
Mr. Zelensky also accused Russia of trying to "turn the cold into a weapon against millions of people" by bombing key Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter approaches. This accusation came as Mr. Zelensky stated that winter is approaching.
He requested that Ukraine's allies provide additional military assistance, as well as price restrictions on Russian energy exports, with the goal of preventing Russia from making a profit from them.
"If Russia is trying to deprive Ukraine, Europe, and all energy consumers around the world of predictability and price stability, then the solution to this problem should be a forced limitation of export prices for Russia...
"I don't see why not. He said, "If you take something away, the world has the right to take it away from you."
The West has prevented the opening of a second pipeline, which has led to Russia turning off its gas pipeline known as Nord Stream 1, which supplies Europe with gas.
In another part of his speech, Mr. Zelensky compared the liberation of the Ukrainian city of Kherson to "D-Day, the landing of the Allies in Normandy," which occurred during World War Two. Mr. Zelensky had just recently returned from the city, which had been retaken by Ukrainian forces.
"The battle against evil had not yet reached its conclusion, but the outcome of this battle had already decided the entire future of the conflict." He said that this perfectly describes how we are feeling at the moment.
Later in the day, Mr. Lavrov held a news conference for the Russian media in which he pointed the finger of blame at Ukraine for impeding Russia's ability to reach a settlement.
He stated that Ukraine was "absolutely refusing to negotiate and putting forward conditions that are obviously impossible to meet."
When asked whether he had secured support from any countries at the G20 summit, he stated that "no one except the West and its closest satellites has joined anti-Russian sanctions." This response was in response to the question of whether or not he had secured support from any countries.
The conflict in Ukraine loomed large over the first day of the G20 leaders' summit and served as a central topic of discussion in a number of the sessions.
During a meeting with the leader of China, Xi Jinping, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, emphasized the need for "close coordination between France and China" in order to resolve the conflict.
According to a readout provided by the French side, both countries respect the "territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," and Mr. Xi "gave his support" to Mr. Macron's efforts to bring about peace in the region.
On the other hand, a readout from the Chinese side that was released to state media completely omitted any reference to Ukraine. It did not go into great detail about the conflict, but it did acknowledge that "a new period of turmoil and change" was about to begin in the world.
During his opening remarks at the summit, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, also had a direct conversation with Mr. Lavrov. This marked the first time a British leader has confronted a senior Russian figure face to face since the beginning of the conflict.
He stated that the "Putin regime...has stifled domestic dissent and fabricated a veneer of validity only through violence" and that it is currently experiencing "a chorus of global opposition to its actions."
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