The G20 summit in New Delhi, India, finished on Sunday, the 10th of September with a declaration that avoided explicitly condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but stressed the importance of refraining from using force to seize territory, reports Reuters.
The unanimity on the leaders’ declaration came as a surprise, given the deep divisions between the leaders on the Ukraine conflict. Western countries wanted to condemn Russia strongly in the declaration, while others wanted to focus on economic issues.
The declaration called on all countries to respect “the principles of international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law and the multilateral framework for peace and stability”.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed its dissatisfaction
with the G20 leaders’ declaration. German chancellor Olaf Scholz felt that the declaration clearly took a stance on Russia and supported the territorial integrity of states without violence. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the strong language in the declaration condemning Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.
Russia, represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, had earlier threatened to block the declaration if it did not coincide with Moscow’s position on Ukraine and other issues, but there was no immediate reaction.
During India’s G20 presidency, divergent views on the Ukraine conflict prevented agreement on any statement at ministerial meetings. “There were different views and interests, but
we managed to find common ground on all issues,”
the Indian foreign minister told a press conference, adding that China, Russia’s main ally, supported the outcome of the G20 declaration.
The declaration also addressed debt vulnerabilities in low and middle-income countries without specifying a new action plan. It supported strengthening and reforming multilateral development banks and endorsed stricter cryptocurrency rules. The G20 recognised that the energy transition requires funding of 4 trillion US dollars per year, stressing the need to accelerate the “phasedown of coal power” in line with national circumstances and a just transition. The declaration additionally urged the execution of initiative aimed at ensuring
secure transportation of grain, food, and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the summit, sending Premier Li Qiang, while Russia was represented by Sergei Lavrov. US President Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, Rishi Sungak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman, and Japan’s Fumio Kishida among others attended the meeting.
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