G20 health summit: US pans Russia's action in Ukraine, Moscow says 'don't politicise meet'

Russia has asked fellow G20 members to keep politics out of a global garing on health issues, after envoys from United States and some of its allies raised Ukraine conflict during health summit in Indonesia on June 20. During  G20 health meeting in Yogyakarta, American, British, Australian, and Canian officials accused Russia of bombing Ukrainian hospitals.

"Far from promoting global health, Russia has disrupted health services, destroyed health facilities, and continues to strike buildings where innocent civilians including children are sheltering," claimed Andrea Palm, US deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, RT News reported. She furr accused Moscow of being "directly at odds with goals of G20 healthcare and our goal of promoting global health."

According to RT News, Russian health ministry spokesman Oleg Salagay responded, saying, "We are asking our colleagues not to politicise  G20 health platform and stay within our mandate and discuss healthcare."

Moscow has frequently refuted Ukrainian and Western charges that it was targeting hospitals, citing proof that Kyiv's armed forces were using civilians as human shields and intentionally attacking hospitals and civilian objects in Donbass. Salagay also questioned notion to establish a slush fund for pandemic preparedness, claiming that it amounted to duplicating and diminishing World Health Organization's (WHO) position.

creation of Financial Intermediary Fund carries certain risks: Russian official

“ creation of so-called Financial Intermediary Fund carries certain risks. It is important to prevent duplication of existing international institutions and fragmentation of financial resources, as well as weakening of coordinating role of WHO,” Russian official stated according to RT News.

On June 21, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Guni Sikin announced foundation of $1.1 billion fund, which would be funded mostly by United States, European Union, Germany, Singapore, Indonesia, and private corporations. funding is intended for economically weaker nations to purchase vaccines, testing, treatments, and or materials needed to combat Covid-19 and future pandemics.

health conference was conducted in anticipation of G20 summit in October 2022. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cana, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and European Union comprise group.

Image: AP