Most G20 countries condemn Russia for war, while China remains silent

On Saturday, financial leaders from the economies of 20 countries around the world strongly condemned Moscow for its war in Ukraine, while only China and Russia itself refused to sign a joint statement.India, which as chairman of the G20 held a meeting of finance ministers in the city of Bangalore, did not want to raise the issue of war, but Western countries insisted that they could not support any outcome that did not include condemnation.The lack of full consensus among G20 members led India to release a “chairman’s summary” in which it simply summarized two days of talks and noted the differences.”The majority of members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it was causing enormous human suffering and exacerbating existing problems in the global economy,” the statement said, citing disrupted supply chains, risks for financial stability and the pursuit of global energy and food. insecure. .”There were different views and different assessments of the situation and the sanctions,” the report said, referring to actions taken by the United States, European countries and others to punish Russia for the invasion and deprive her of income.The outcome was similar to the G20 summit in Bali last November, when the Indonesian host also issued a final statement acknowledging differences. The G20, formed over two decades to overcome economic crises, is increasingly trying to reach consensus among its members.US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen previously told Reuters that any statement condemning Russia was “absolutely necessary”. Two delegates told Reuters that Russia and China do not want the G20 platform to be used to discuss political issues.Russia, a member of the G20 but not the G7, calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” and avoids calling them an invasion or a war.India maintained a largely neutral stance, refusing to blame Russia for the invasion, seeking a diplomatic solution by dramatically increasing purchases of Russian oil.China and India were among the countries that abstained on Thursday when the UN voted overwhelmingly to demand that Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine and cease hostilities.Apart from the G7 countries, the G20 bloc also includes countries as large as Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.