G20 meeting ends without joint statement due to differences over Ukraine

War or no war? Disputes over what to call Russia’s actions in Ukraine make it difficult to reach agreement on issues that are seemingly unrelated to these events. Due to misunderstandings, representatives of the G20 countries who discussed financial and economic issues were unable to draft a final communiqué.

After two days of talks, there will be no joint statement today, officials from India, which currently chairs the G20, told Reuters. India is trying to work out a consensus on reforming international financial institutions, formulating common rules on cryptocurrencies, and accelerating the resolution of the debt issue of countries in financial difficulties. However, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict casts a shadow even on these diplomatic efforts.

Most Western countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, demanded condemnation of Russia and the war in Ukraine, while Russia and China opposed it, an Indian government official told Reuters. According to him, many countries insisted on calling the conflict a war, while Russia still calls it a “special military operation” and India was unable to develop a message acceptable to all countries.

This is the third G20 finance meeting since India took over the presidency in December 2022, and neither country has managed to adopt a joint communiqué.

The G20 leaders’ summit is due to take place in September, and in preparation for it, Indian representatives have even engaged in bilateral negotiations, trying to work out a text that will suit everyone, reports Bloomberg. In the international arena, Delhi manages to take a neutral stance: the government did not recognize the occupation of Ukrainian territories, but also did not condemn Russia in the UN vote. One of the main beneficiaries of the conflict has also become India, which has started to buy Russian oil in large quantities at a discount.

But such a position is not to be found at G20 meetings. If the September summit also ends without a communiqué, it will be the first meeting of G20 leaders since the 2008 crisis.