Biden supports Russia's exclusion from G20

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and European Council President Charles Michel arrive for the meeting of European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden has said he was in favor of Russia being excluded from the Group of 20 (G20). Biden is in Brussels to attend three summits addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including the NATO extraordinary summit, the Group of Seven summit and the European Council meeting. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

BRUSSELS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden has said he was in favor of Russia being excluded from the Group of 20 (G20).

If Russia is not excluded, at least Ukraine should also be invited to the G20 group as an observer, said Biden at a press conference at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.

Biden is in Brussels to attend three summits addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including the NATO extraordinary summit, the Group of Seven summit and the European Council meeting.

Russia has not commented on Biden's statement so far.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Thursday that NATO members have demonstrated their loyalty to Washington by vowing to follow its orders aimed at ultimately containing Russia.

She added that Washington once again "disciplined" its allies by pressuring sovereign countries and further erasing Europe's strategic autonomy.