The summit on the Indonesian island of Bali is the first meeting of G20 leaders since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February. The war, which Russia has described as a “special military operation”, has overshadowed the meeting despite calls from Indonesia for unity and a focus on action to solve global economic problems such as inflation and food and energy security. “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it is causing enormous human suffering and exacerbating existing weaknesses in the global economy,” a 16-page draft statement said, according to a copy seen by Reuters. “There were other views and different assessments of the situation and the sanctions,” the draft, which diplomats say has yet to be approved by the leaders, reads. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is leading his country’s delegation in the absence of President Vladimir Putin, denounced the effort to condemn Russia as politicization by Western countries that tried unsuccessfully to include it in the statement. Lavrov said Russia had presented an alternative view and the draft would be finalized on Wednesday. A US official said earlier that the United States expected the G20 to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there are encouraging signs of a consensus that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not acceptable. Meetings of G20 ministers in the past have failed to produce joint statements due to disagreements between Russia and other members over language, including how to describe the war in Ukraine. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the summit in a mock speech that now was the time to end Russia’s war on his country under a plan he has proposed “fairly and based on the UN Charter and international law.” He called for the restoration of “radiation safety” regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the introduction of price caps on Russian energy resources and the expansion of a grain export initiative. “Please choose your path of leadership – and together we will surely implement the peace formula,” he said. Lavrov, who denied a news agency report on Monday that he had been taken to hospital in Bali with a heart condition, said he listened to Zelensky’s speech, adding that the Ukrainian leader was delaying the conflict and not listening to Western advice. [1/12] Leaders gather during the G20 leaders’ summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Dita Alangkara/Pool via REUTERS Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted calls from some Western leaders to boycott the summit and withdraw Putin’s invitation, but Indonesia has refused to do so. Russia earlier said Putin was too busy to attend the summit and Lavrov took his place.
‘SAVE THE WORLD’
The summit opened with Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s call for unity and concrete action to fix the global economy despite deep rifts over the war. “We have no choice, cooperation is needed to save the world,” he said. “The G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery. We must not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another cold war.” The G20, which includes countries from the United States, Russia and Brazil to India, Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of global gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and 60% of its population. On the eve of the summit, US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held bilateral talks in which they promised more frequent communication despite their many differences. The meeting was the first the two have had in person since Biden became president and appeared to signal an improvement in relations after a downward spiral in recent months. Xi and Putin have grown closer in recent years and reaffirmed their cooperation just days before Russia invaded Ukraine. However, China has been careful not to provide any direct material support that could trigger Western sanctions against it. On Tuesday, Xi told French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting that China favored a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace talks, Chinese state media reported. Macron said it was vital that France and China work more closely together to overcome the consequences of the war in Ukraine, his office said, adding that the two leaders agreed on the urgency of de-escalating the conflict in Ukraine and reaffirmed their position on preventing the use of nuclear weapons. On Monday, Biden and Xi “underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine” during their meeting, the White House said. Xi told Biden that nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear wars cannot be fought, the Chinese foreign minister said in a statement. The West has accused Russia of irresponsible statements about the possible use of nuclear weapons after its invasion of Ukraine. Russia in turn accused the West of “provocative” nuclear rhetoric. Reporting by Francisca Nangoy, Stanley Widianto, Nandita Bose, Leika Kihara, David Lawder and Simon Lewis in Nusa Dua, Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Lydia Kelly in Melbourne and Eduardo Baptista in Beijing. Written by Ed Davies and Raju Gopalakrishnan. Edited by Robert Birsel and Tom Hogue Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
