Blocking the final declaration
Russia is already standing in the way before the G20 summit
September 8, 2023, 8:34 p.m
Moscow assumes that Western states are putting pressure on India to get the G20 to condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. An EU diplomat accuses the Kremlin of blocking compromises at the summit. The meeting of economic powers threatens to fail.
The G20 summit of the leading economic powers in India threatens to fail due to the dispute over a clear condemnation of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It is difficult to predict whether it will be possible to reach an agreement, said EU Council President Charles Michel before the start of the meeting in the capital New Delhi this Saturday. One reason is that, unlike last year in Bali, it seems more difficult for some states to agree to a clear condemnation.
According to statements from an EU diplomat, Russia has so far prevented an agreement on a G20 summit declaration. India is doing an “excellent job” as host of the G20 meeting of the most important industrialized and emerging countries, is committed and is looking for compromises. “But so far Russia is blocking a compromise that would otherwise be acceptable to everyone,” the EU diplomat told the Reuters news agency.
In the run-up to the summit, Russia had announced that it would only agree to a joint summit declaration under certain conditions. The main issue is the passage in the final declaration on the Russian attack on Ukraine. Delegations reported a tough struggle between negotiators over the wording for the final declaration. According to the information, the West was faced with an alliance of China and Russia. Beijing is considered Moscow’s most important international partner and has not yet condemned the war of aggression against Ukraine.
Criticism of Modi’s meeting with Biden
Host India hopes for a joint final declaration. “We are continuing to work on a consensus,” said Indian negotiator Amitabh Kant. India’s focus is on concerns of the global south. In addition to the EU, the G20 includes 19 of the world’s strongest economies. The round is a central forum for international economic cooperation, but now also deals with other topics from the fight against terrorism to climate protection.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of the G20 summit in New Delhi. Biden arrived at the head of government’s residence, as the accompanying press reported. There had previously been great criticism of the meeting with Modi from the US press because media access was severely restricted.
The White House tried to appease the journalists. “This is not a typical bilateral visit to India where the meetings take place in the prime minister’s office and there is a proper program,” Biden adviser Jake Sullivan said before the meeting. Modi is the host of the G20, which is hosting a “significant number of heads of state in his house”. He therefore sets the rules for the process, says Sullivan. Modi was received with great pomp by Biden as a state guest at the White House in June.
Guterres calls for unity
A joint press conference also took place at that time, which was very unusual for Modi – he rarely takes questions from journalists. Biden’s government is aggressively trying to bind India more closely as an important player in the Indo-Pacific and on the international stage. The aim is to counter China’s desire for power in the region.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called in the Indian capital to fight the crises in the world. “We must come together and act as one for the common good.” There is a risk of increasing confrontation. The G20 could help accompany the transition to a multipolar order. He named the fight against the climate crisis as one of the most important tasks.
EU Council President Michel said: “Russia continues to attack Ukraine, killing people and destroying their cities.” The EU will therefore continue to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia. The Russian war is also affecting other regions of the world. More than 250 million people face food insecurity. By attacking Ukrainian ports for grain exports, the Kremlin is depriving them of the food they desperately need.
Moscow complains about “one-sided approach”
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, when asked whether she expected an agreement on a statement including a section on the Ukraine war, said: “We stand ready to work with India to draft a communiqué that successfully addresses this concern.” But it is “a challenge”.
Russia accused the leading democratic economic powers (G7) of putting pressure on India. The West is trying to impose its “one-sided approach to the situation around Ukraine” on the G20 final document, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said. Geopolitical issues, the “crisis in Ukraine” and other armed conflicts should be addressed at the United Nations (UN) level.
The UN will meet next week for the General Assembly in New York. In addition to Germany, the G7 group also includes France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain. The G7 condemns the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and wants to see this position reflected in the G20 statement.
USA: More money for development bank
At the G20 summit on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali in 2022, Moscow agreed, apparently under pressure from China, to include the sentence in the final declaration: “Most members strongly condemn the war in Ukraine.” Russia’s position was depicted with the words: “There were different views and different assessments of the situation and the sanctions.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry now emphasized: “We are convinced that the G20’s decisions should be based solely on consensus, without any of its members opting out.” The priority is a declaration that serves the recovery of the global economy, sustainable development and thus the interests of all countries. Russia will be represented in New Delhi by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russian President Vladimir Putin started the war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. As in 2022, he will stay away from the summit. An international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court in The Hague is in force against him. China’s head of state Xi Jinping is also not coming to India and is being represented by Prime Minister Li Qiang.
At the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Yellen is relying on commitments for greater support for poorer countries. “We hope that other countries will join us depending on their financial capabilities.” It should also be about money for the World Bank, which lends money to poor countries on favorable terms. “This week is also an opportunity to discuss debt relief,” said Yellen, given the debt crisis in poorer countries. China has long been under international pressure to agree to debt relief for poor countries – after they took out loans from Beijing.
Security precautions severely restricted life in New Delhi the day before the summit began – parts of the center resembled a ghost town. The authorities had also made efforts to drive away New Delhi’s large number of monkeys and street dogs from the city center.