Putin, Xi cast dark shadow over G20 as Ukraine consensus proves elusive
The story of the G20 summit in New Delhi was shaped by who wasn't here.
The story of the G20 summit in New Delhi was shaped by who wasn't here. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s economic slowdown loomed large over the opening day of the summit, yet Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping were both no shows
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s officials were pushing their counterparts hard for a joint declaration. If this summit ended without one, it would have been the first time in the history of the G20.
Those fears were alleviated late on Saturday, with leaders agreeing to a joint declaration which included eight paragraphs on Ukraine and conflict in general. The declaration stated that all states must refrain from the threat of force to seek territorial acquisition, but also noted "there were different views and assessments of the situation" among G20 members.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed it was "the strongest language yet to be agreed by the international community" on the invasion, but that's not how it has been widely interpreted in New Delhi. Considering that all references to Russia that featured in last year's joint statement at the G20 in Bali were removed, there is a clear softening of the language around Moscow's role in starting the war.
