Speaking at the close of the G20 in Bali, a summit dominated by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy, he said he believed China could take a mediating role in the conflict. “I am convinced that China can play, from our side, a more important mediating role in the coming months, especially to prevent a stronger return of ground attacks in early February,” he said. Macron’s remarks suggest he believes Ukraine may have to be ready to negotiate with Russia before it regains all the territory it lost to the original Russian invasion in 2014. Few military experts believe Ukraine, despite recent successes, will could take Russian highly defended positions, including the Crimea, before February with an expected winter slowdown in fighting. Macron also said the immediate task was to do everything to help Ukraine fight back, and regardless of the source of the stray missile that landed in Poland on Tuesday, Russia had fired up to 85 missiles into Ukraine that day in an attack on its energy infrastructure. . He described it as “a terrible day for the Ukrainian people” and was probably designed as a message to G20 members. A draft statement issued by G20 leaders at the close of the summit said “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine” and demanded Russia’s “complete and unconditional withdrawal” from its neighbor’s territory. The reference to the war is a rejection of Russia’s claim that it is engaged in a “special military operation”. But the draft also said, “There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions,” reflecting divisions among G20 states over Russia. China and India have both avoided outright criticism of the Kremlin’s incursion. Macron said: “The G20 did not look away from the war in Ukraine. Even if Vladimir Putin didn’t come, the message he sent was crystal clear, the overwhelming majority condemn the war in Ukraine. This is a fact.” He added that behind the scenes at the summit there was a growing consensus. “There is room for convergence, including with the major economies of China and India, to pressure Russia into de-escalation. “We brought together Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa, Argentina and Mexico to create convergences and have a clear message to Russia, a full call to Russia to end this war.” But he said repeatedly that there was a consensus that the war should end through negotiations. He has said in the past, and faced criticism for saying, that the war cannot end in humiliation for Russia, a remark he has not repeated recently as Russia’s methods have become increasingly brutal. Subscribe to This is Europe The most central stories and debates about Europeans – from identity to the economy to the environment Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Macron’s hopes for a change in the Chinese position followed a meeting with Xi in Bali on Tuesday. At his press conference he said he was convinced Xi was sincere and supported the UN charter on the sovereignty of nations. The summit represented a formal end to Xi’s diplomatic isolation caused by Covid, and the West led by the US is clearly keen to reopen lines of communication. Skeptics say Putin and Xi committed to borderless cooperation very shortly before the invasion, and China did little to distance itself from Russia in the aftermath. However, Chinese sources told the FT they felt they had been lied to by Putin, remarks that suggest a weakening of the relationship. G20 leaders left Bali relieved that the missile that landed in Poland, killing two people, was likely a Ukrainian air defense missile rather than a deliberate Russian provocation, but the episode underlined the vulnerability of NATO’s eastern border. “It’s a lesson in how fragile this state of affairs remains,” said one European diplomat. Macron was at the forefront of Western efforts at the summit to connect with the global south, saying he supported the African Union becoming a full permanent member of the G20. He also promised to hold a new international conference on an economic pact with the south in Paris in June aimed at creating a boost in financing the south. “We should not be asking these countries to support multilateralism if the system is unable to respond to these vital emergencies. He also welcomed the possible long-term renewal of the grain and fertilizer agreement that would allow exports from Ukraine and Russia to resume by the end of the year.
