As the two-day summit opened on Tuesday, host country Indonesia appealed for unity despite rifts within the G20 – which includes Russia – over the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the group, which he referred to on camera as “the G19”, in an apparent snub to Russia, to end the war with his “peace formula”. Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister and top representative at the summit, was reportedly in the room when Zelensky made his speech. Lavrov later accused Ukraine of prolonging the conflict. Here’s a summary of what was said:
Ukraine
Ukraine’s president called on G20 leaders to adopt a 10-point peace plan and end the war “fairly and based on the UN Charter and international law.” “Ukraine should not be offered to compromise its conscience, sovereignty, territory and independence. We respect the rules and we are people of our word,” Zelensky told the summit via video link from Kyiv. He rejected any negotiations similar to the 2014 accords between Kiev and Moscow following Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea and support for separatist rebels in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region. “We will not allow Russia to wait, build up its forces, and then start a new series of terror and global destabilization,” Zelensky said. “Obviously, one cannot trust Russia’s word and there will be no Minsk 3, which Russia would violate immediately after signing,” he added, referring to the Minsk 1 and 2 accords signed in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Zelensky also called for the release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war, the restoration of “radiation safety” at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, the introduction of price caps on Russian energy resources, and the expansion of the UN and Black Sea Grain Export Agreement with Turkey’s mediation.
Russia
Russia’s foreign minister accused Kyiv of slowing down the war following Zelensky’s remarks. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Lavrov said Ukraine was refusing to talk to Moscow and had set unrealistic terms for peace. He also said that any renewal of the Black Sea grain export agreement – which is due to expire on Saturday – is dependent on the removal of barriers to the export of Russian grain and fertiliser. Russia has long complained about barriers to such exports, even though they are not directly punished by sweeping Western sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to its aggression.
Indonesia
Indonesia’s president appealed for unity at the start of the G20 summit. “We have no choice, cooperation is needed to save the world,” Widodo said. “[The] The G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery. We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another cold war,” he added. “Being responsible means creating not zero-sum situations, being responsible here also means ending war. If the war does not end, it will be difficult for the world to move on.” Indonesia is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, a loose coalition formed in 1961 to avoid East-West confrontations, and has taken a cautious stance on the Ukraine war. It has largely focused on issues of food and energy insecurity. Widodo attends a working session on energy and food security during the G20 Summit in Bali on Tuesday [Bay Ismoyo/Pool Photo via AP]
United States
President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reiterated their “agreement that there should never be a nuclear war” on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Monday, according to the White House. “President Biden raised Russia’s violent war against Ukraine and Russia’s irresponsible threats of nuclear use,” a readout of the meeting said. “President Biden and President Xi reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war must never be fought and can never be won, and underlined their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” it added. Washington is Ukraine’s strongest ally, while Beijing is closely tied to Russia.
China
China’s president made no direct reference to the war in Ukraine during his speech at the G20 summit as he called for increased global “solidarity”. “It is imperative that all countries embrace the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and support peace, development and cooperation that will benefit,” Xi said. “Division and confrontation serve no interest. Only solidarity and joint development is the right choice.” Beijing has appealed for peace throughout the war, but an official in August accused Washington of being the “main instigator” of the conflict. Moscow and Beijing signed a borderless cooperation deal days before the invasion began, and Russia has sought to forge closer political and economic ties with China in the face of Western sanctions.
India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged G20 leaders to return to diplomacy to end the war. “We have to find a way to get back on the path of ceasefire and diplomacy in Ukraine,” Modi said on Tuesday, during his opening speech at the summit. “The need of the hour is to show concrete and collective resolve to ensure peace, harmony and security in the world.” Modi said there should be no restrictions on energy supply and called for global gas and food markets to be protected. Russia is a leading producer and exporter of energy, as well as fertilizers. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading food producers.
United Kingdom
The UK prime minister condemned Russia’s invasion, saying it “undermined fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “We all depend on these principles. They are the foundations of the international order. They must be observed,” Sunak said at the summit, according to a transcript of his Downing Street speech. He said it was within the power of Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war and highlighted his absence from the meeting. “It is remarkable that Putin did not feel able to join us here. Maybe if he had, we could get on with sorting things out,” Sunak said. “Because the single biggest difference anyone could make is for Russia to leave Ukraine and end this barbaric war,” he added. “It’s very simple – countries should not invade their neighbors, they should not attack civilian infrastructure and civilian populations, and they should not threaten nuclear escalation.” The BBC reported that Sunak’s comments marked “the first time a British prime minister has directly confronted a senior Russian official since the invasion began.” Sunak said Russia’s attack “undermined fundamental principles of sovereignty” [Mast Irham/Pool via Reuters]
France
The French presidency said it was vital for Paris and Beijing to work together to overcome the fallout from the war in Ukraine after Emmanuel Macron met Xi on the sidelines on Tuesday. “The president expressed his deep concern at the choice made by Russia to continue this war in Ukraine,” the French presidency said in a statement after the talks. “The consequences of this conflict go beyond the borders of Europe and should be overcome by close cooperation between France and China,” he said. However, a Chinese summary of the talks made little mention of Ukraine. “President Xi stressed that China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is clear and consistent. China supports the ceasefire, cessation of conflict and peace talks,” the Chinese statement said, adding that China will continue to work in its own way to play a constructive role.
Germany
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday there was a growing “consensus” at the G20 summit that Russia’s war against Ukraine is unacceptable and that nuclear weapons should not be used. “This is a consensus that is gaining ground here,” Scholz told reporters in Bali. Scholz also said he would continue to talk directly with Putin in an effort to find solutions to end the war.
