G20 Summit Avoids Condemning Russia for War in Ukraine, Calls for Banking System Reform

(Patria) - The Group of 20 adopted a declaration at its summit on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine, but called on all states not to use force to seize territory.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Leaders' Declaration was adopted on the first day
of the G20 summit weekend in New Delhi, Reuters reports.

"Against the backdrop of the hard work of all teams, we have achieved consensus on the G20 Leaders' Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration," Modi told leaders, including US President Joe Biden and heads of government and state.

Divisions over Ukraine

The consensus was a surprise as the G20 is deeply divided over the war in Ukraine, with Western countries previously seeking strong condemnation of Russia in the Leaders' Declaration, while others
called for a focus on broader economic issues.

"We call on all states to respect the principles of international law, including territorial
integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law and the multilateral system that preserves peace and stability," the declaration states.

"We welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine," it adds.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the declaration was "nothing to be proud of," adding that Ukraine's presence would have allowed participants to better understand the situation.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the declaration showed a clear stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stating that the territorial integrity of countries cannot be challenged by force.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the declaration had "very strong language on Russia's
illegal war in Ukraine," adding that he thought "that is a good and strong outcome."

There was no reaction from Russia, represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had
said he would block the final declaration unless it reflected Moscow's stance on Ukraine and other crises.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said China, Russia's main ally, supported the outcome.

"Different views and interests were at play, but we managed to find common ground on all issues," he said at a press conference.

Divergent views on the war had prevented even a single statement from being reached at ministerial meetings during India's G20 presidency so far this year.

India's G20 Sherpa said the host country had worked "very closely" with Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia to achieve consensus on the war in Ukraine in the summit document.

Reforms and China's Absence

The countries were said to have committed to strengthening and reforming multilateral development banks, while accepting a proposal for stricter regulation of cryptocurrencies. They also agreed that the world needs a total of $4 trillion in cheap annual financing for the energy transition, with a high share of renewable sources.

Modi inaugurated the meeting by calling on members to end the "global deficit of trust" and announced that the bloc was granting permanent membership to the African Union in an effort to make it more representative. Despite the compromise on the leaders' declaration, the summit was expected to be dominated by the West and its allies. Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend, with Premier Li Qiang attending in his place, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was also absent. Biden, Scholz, Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, and Fumio Kishida of Japan, among others, are attending the summit.

"It is up to the Chinese government to explain" why its leader would or would not participate, Jon Finer, US deputy national security adviser, told reporters in New Delhi. Finer said there was speculation that China was "giving up on the G20" in favor of groups like BRICS, where it is dominant.

BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and has agreed to add six
more members (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates),
accelerating its push to reshape the world order it deems outdated.