G20 Leaders Fail to Condemn Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine in Joint Statement
G20 leaders at the New Delhi summit have failed to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a joint statement, highlighting the lack of global consensus in support of Kyiv. This comes after China and Russia rejected language that blamed Moscow for the conflict, leading to a compromise in the wording of the declaration.
The statement refers only to the “war in Ukraine”, a formulation that supporters of Kyiv, such as the US and Nato allies, have previously rejected as it implies both sides are equally complicit. Western countries have spent the past year trying to convince developing countries to condemn Moscow and support Ukraine, but the lack of consensus among G20 leaders is a blow to these efforts.
The previous G20 declaration, made in Indonesia last November, referred to “aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”. China’s refusal to repeat that formulation was critical in pushing host India to propose compromise language. India’s external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, stated that there were “multiple views” on the issue and it was important to reflect the reality in the meeting rooms.
Despite the lack of condemnation in the joint statement, G20 leaders did pledge to “pursue and encourage efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally”. However, there is no deadline for phasing out fossil fuels, as China and Saudi Arabia led efforts to block such language in previous G20 meetings.
The adoption of the declaration is seen as a foreign policy coup for India and its prime minister, Narendra Modi, who is seeking re-election to a third term in 2024. The joint statement called for a “just and durable peace in Ukraine” but did not explicitly link that demand to Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, acknowledged that the declaration had consequential paragraphs on the war in Ukraine, stating that it stood up for the principles that states cannot use force for territorial acquisition and that the use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.
In addition to the discussion on Ukraine, India succeeded in having the G20 induct the African Union as a full member, highlighting the country’s leadership in the Global South group of developing nations. The joint statement also addressed the promotion of digital public infrastructure, a template for financial inclusion and economic productivity gains that India has been advocating.
The absence of China’s President Xi Jinping at the summit raised eyebrows, as he sent Premier Li Qiang in his place. Despite this absence, the wording of the communique still reflected many Chinese talking points, such as limiting the G20 to international economic issues and the language on Ukraine and nuclear weapons.
Premier Li emphasized the need for unity, cooperation, and inclusion within the G20, in line with China’s portrayal of the US and its allies as engaging in a “Cold War mentality”. He also stated that China would inject momentum into the global economy despite its own recovery from Covid.
Overall, the joint statement reflects the divisions among G20 leaders regarding the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting the challenges in achieving consensus on global issues.