Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, German politician and former laureate of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen (Karlspreis) Martin Schulz, Aachen's mayor Sibylle Keupen and President of the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) Baerbel Bas listen as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the award ceremony of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen 2023 on May 14, 2023 in Aachen, western Germany. The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen is the oldest and best-known prize awarded for work done in the service of European unification. Zelenskiy and the People of Ukraine are given the prize for "fighting to defend not only the sovereignty of their country and the lives of its citizens, but also Europe and European values". INA FASSBENDER/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Influential countries such as India, Vietnam and South Africa balk at criticizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine because they believe international principles are not applied equally, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a speech on Monday.
"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.
"What they expect is representation on equal terms, and an end to Western double standards."
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Matthias Williams, Editing by Rachel More)
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