Divisions emerged at the G20 summit on Tuesday as the US and its allies backed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Russia’s foreign minister rejected.
The summit on the Indonesian island of Bali is the first meeting of G20 leaders since Russia sent troops to Ukraine in February.
The war, billed by Russia as a “special military operation,” has threatened host Indonesia with disunity and inflation; Despite the focus on addressing global economic issues such as food and energy security, the meeting was dominated.
“A majority of members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, stressing that it has caused enormous human suffering and exacerbated the existing decay in the global economy,” according to a copy seen by Reuters.
“There was a different assessment of the situation and other views on the sanctions,” the diplomats said, but the leaders had not confirmed it.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is leading his delegation in President Vladimir Putin’s absence, condemned attempts by Western countries to politicize Russia, which failed to include it in the declaration.
Russia has presented an alternative view and the draft will be finalized on Wednesday, Lavrov said.
A U.S. official said earlier that the U.S. hopes the G20 will condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there were encouraging signs that a deal could be reached, saying war with Russia and Ukraine was unacceptable.
Linguistic disagreements between Russia and other members, including over how to describe the war in Ukraine, have previously prevented joint statements from G20 ministerial gatherings.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the summit that now is the time to stop Russia’s war in his country, according to a proposed plan based on the UN Charter and international law.
Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, to restore “radiation safety”; He called for the introduction of price caps on Russian energy resources and the expansion of the grain export initiative.
“Choose a path of leadership; We will definitely implement the peace formula together,” he said.
Lavrov, who a news agency denied on Monday said he had been taken to a hospital in Bali with a heart attack, listened to Zelenskiy’s speech and said the Ukrainian leader was dragging out the conflict without listening to Western advice.
[1/12] Indonesia Bali Bali Leaders during the G20 Leaders Summit held in Nusa Dua on Tuesday. November 15 The year 2022. Dita Alangkara/Pool via REUTERS
Some Western leaders have called for a boycott of the summit over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to withdraw Putin’s invitation, but Indonesia has refused.
Earlier, Russia said Putin was too busy to attend the summit and Larov replaced him.
‘Save the world’
Indonesian President Joko Widodo opened the summit calling for unity and strong action to repair the global economy despite deep divisions during the war.
“We have no other choice; We need to cooperate to save the world,” he said. “The G20 must be a force for an inclusive economic recovery. The world must not be divided. The world must not be plunged into another Cold War.”
United States Russia and Brazil to India; The G20, which includes Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product. It comprises 75% of international trade and 60% of the population.
On the eve of the summit, US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings, and despite many differences, they communicated frequently.
The meeting was the first in person since Biden became president and appeared to signal an improvement in relations after a decline in recent months.
Xi and Putin have grown closer in recent years and reaffirmed their partnership just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, China has been careful not to provide direct aid that could trigger Western sanctions.
Chinese state media reported that French President Emmanuel Macron told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday that China supports a ceasefire and peace talks in Ukraine.
Macron said it was important for France and China to cooperate more closely to overcome the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and the two leaders agreed to take urgent action to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine and reaffirmed their stance on prevention. Use of nuclear weapons.
On Monday, The White House said Biden and Xi stressed their opposition to the use or threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
China’s foreign minister issued a statement saying that Xi told Biden that he could not use nuclear weapons or fight a nuclear war.
The West has accused Russia of being irresponsible about its use of nuclear weapons since its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has accused the West of provocative nuclear rhetoric.
Fransiska Nangoy, Stanley Widianto Nandita Bose, Leica Kihara David Lawder and Simon Lewis in Nusa Dua; Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Eduardo Baptista in Beijing; Written by Ed Davies and Raju Gopalakrishnan. Edited by Robert Birsel and Tom Hogue.
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
