G20 meeting in India to end without communique as Ukraine war divides
bloc
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[July 18, 2023]
By Shivangi Acharya and Sarita Chaganti Singh
GANDHINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Two days of talks between economic and
finance policymakers from the Group of 20 nations will wrap up on
Tuesday without a joint statement due to differences between major
powers over the war in Ukraine, according to Indian officials hosting
the meeting.
During its presidency of the G20, India is hoping to forge a consensus
on reforms for multilateral banks, a global guiding principle on
cryptocurrencies and accelerate the debt resolution of vulnerable
countries, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict has cast a long shadow over
global diplomacy.
"All our agenda has been moving forward and accepted by everyone," an
Indian government official, who requested anonymity, said on the last
day of talks in the western city of Gandhinagar.
Most western countries including the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany and
France had pushed for a firm condemnation of Russia and the war in
Ukraine, whereas Russia and its friend China had opposed any such move,
the official added.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jul/18/images/ads/current/guzzardos_sda_HEROS_2023.png)
And, India, as host nation, has been unable to draft a final communique
acceptable to all members, the official said, as some countries insisted
on calling the conflict a war, while Russia refers to its campaign, now
in its sixteenth month, as a "special military operation".
India has adopted a largely neutral stance, declining to blame Russia
for the invasion and urging a diplomatic solution, while also increasing
purchases of discounted oil from Russia.
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![](../images/071823PIX/news_w38.jpg)
Rescuers work at the site of an
apartment building damaged during Russian missile strikes, amid
Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn
Ogirenko
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jul/18/images/ads/current/graue_lda_preowned_071823.jpg)
On Saturday, an Indian official told Reuters that brokering peace
between Russia and Ukraine was beyond the remit of the G20 and such
efforts would be best undertaken by the United Nations and through
bilateral negotiations.
Earlier this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that
Washington's support for Ukraine was unequivocal and one of its core
goals this year was to combat Russia's efforts to evade sanctions.
The gathering in the western state of Gujarat was the G20's third
finance track meeting under India's presidency. India has not been
able to forge a joint statement in any of the key tracks since it
took over the presidency of G20 last December.
Some officials said the acrimony was less than they had seen during
the first meetings held in Bengaluru in February, even though
countries had remained firm on their stance.
At the close of the Bengaluru meetings, the lack of consensus among
the G20 members meant India resorted to issuing a "chair's summary
and outcome document" in which it simply summed up the two days of
talks and noted disagreements.
(Reporting by Shivangi Acharya and Sarita Chaganti Singh; Editing by
Simon Cameron-Moore)
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