G20 summit to end without joint statement as Ukraine war divides bloc - media

Two-day negotiations between the finance ministers of the G20 nations will end today without a joint statement due to differences between the participating states regarding the condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

That's according to TVP, Ukrinform reports.

"Two days of talks between economic and finance policymakers from the Group of 20 (G20) nations will wrap up without a joint statement due to differences between major powers over the war in Ukraine, according to Indian officials hosting the meeting," the report said.

It said that 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 war "has cast a long shadow over global diplomacy."

Most Western countries, including the U.S., the UK, 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, an Indian government official said.

India, as the host nation, has been unable to draft a final communiqué 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.

On Saturday, an Indian official said that brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine was beyond the remit of the G20 and that 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 that 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 on any of the key tracks since it took over the presidency of the G20 last December.

Photo: flickr.com/palaciodoplanalto