Germany admits West's double standards

Western nations must do better at establishing equal relations with developing countries, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said as he acknowledged a perception of double standards in the West's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He told delegates at a Global Solutions Forum on Monday, which had inclusivity and sustainability as its focus, that developing countries are often left with a sense that the West has double standards and does not apply its principles evenly.

While the West has been critical of Russia over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said countries, including India, Vietnam and South Africa, have been more nuanced in their response.

"When I talk to leaders from those countries, many assure me that they are not questioning the underlying principles of our international order. What they are struggling with is the unequal application of those principles," he said in a speech at the event, which is held annually and aims to find research-based solutions for problems facing the G20, G7 and other international organizations.

"What they expect is representation on equal terms, and an end to Western double standards," German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle, or DW, quoted him as saying.

Scholz has, however, been a strong critic of Russia over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a staunch supporter of Kyiv.

On Sunday, during a visit to his country by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, he vowed to support Ukraine "for as long as it is necessary" and promised to send additional armaments.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pledged to build an "international coalition" to provide fighter jet support for Ukraine.

Security pact exited

Meanwhile, Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, voted unanimously to formally pull out of a key Cold War-era security deal.

"Deputies of the State Duma, guided by the interests of our citizens, decided to denounce the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe to ensure the security of the Russian Federation," said Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin.

"Washington and Brussels, obsessed with the idea of building a unipolar world and expanding NATO to the east, have destroyed the global security system," Volodin wrote in a Telegram post.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.