Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi and will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to a telephonic conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they also discussed bilateral cooperation and regional and global issues.
Germany's G20 sherpa, Jorg Kukies, stated that Germany will not sign a joint statement that ignores Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, disagreeing with China's position that the discussion of the Ukraine war does not belong in an economic grouping like the G20.
G20 negotiators were unable to reach an agreement on the wording of the summit declaration on the war in Ukraine, leaving the possibility of a breakthrough to bloc leaders during the meeting.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the G20 nations have reached a consensus on a joint declaration, despite disagreements over the war in Ukraine.
The G20 reached a consensus and adopted the New Delhi Leaders Summit Declaration, which called for upholding international law, peaceful conflict resolution, and diplomacy.
The G20 summit is set to feature strongmen leaders with human rights concerns, such as Mohammed bin Salman and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reflecting a recognition that involving these countries is necessary for addressing issues like the Ukraine war and achieving consensus on global agreements.
The G20 leaders have reached a conclusion on the Ukraine war, emphasizing the need for the revival of the Black Sea grain deal and urging all states to refrain from the use or threat of force, stating that the use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.
Officials at the G20 summit expressed a desire for "just and durable peace" in Ukraine, but Russia successfully watered down a statement on the war, avoiding any mention of its military action "against Ukraine."
India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, addressed the New Delhi G20 Leadership Declaration, which called for peace in Ukraine, highlighting its significance as a consensus among members amidst tensions and divergent views over the conflict; however, the declaration received criticism for not mentioning Russia and for its language referring to the war 'in Ukraine' instead of 'against Ukraine'.
The Group of 20 adopted a consensus declaration at a summit in New Delhi that called on all states to uphold international law and not use force to grab territory, but did not condemn Russia for the war in Ukraine, prompting mixed reactions from different nations.
The G20 summit in New Delhi concludes with Russia and the US praising a consensus declaration that avoids directly criticizing Russia for the war in Ukraine, but highlights the human suffering caused by the conflict and calls on all states not to use force to grab territory.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the decision to accept the G20 joint statement on Russia's war in Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty, while acknowledging the negative impact of Russia's aggression on food security globally.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed diplomatic victory at the G20 summit in India, stating that they were able to prevent any direct criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that the text of the summit does not mention Russia at all.
Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow did not expect the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration to be adopted and was ready to defend itself and the wording about the Ukraine war, while also crediting the countries of the global south for ensuring that the G20 agenda was not overshadowed by the Ukraine conflict.
The G20 summit's final declaration, which received criticism for not explicitly condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine, was defended by the White House, who praised it for highlighting the importance of a country's sovereignty.
