Most G20 leaders strongly condemn Russia’s invasion, but there are ‘other views’
The G20 Summit in Indonesia was first passed without a joint photo of the leaders because of the presence of the Russian Federation (Photo:Willy Kurniawan/Pool/Reuters)
Most G20 leaders “deplored in the strongest possible terms” Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a final declaration adopted following a leader-level G20 summit in Indonesia, German public broadcaster DW reported on Nov. 16.
"Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy," the document says.
G20 members also demanded "the complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine."
The leaders reaffirmed that the ongoing war in Ukraine has a negative impact on food and energy security and has caused turmoil around the world.
At the same time, the declaration acknowledged different that "there are other views and different assessments of the situation." Likewise, there is an ambiguous position on sanctions imposed against Russia for the attack on Ukraine.
The joint communique reflects the tension between the G20 members, and also emphasizes the growing isolation of the regime of dictator Vladimir Putin.
Although the G20 does not address or solve security problems, the declaration notes the "significant consequences" that the security situation could have on the global economy.
China maintained a neutral position following the summit. Officials did not criticize Russia publicly, but did not openly support it either.
The G20 summit was held in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 15-16. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin did not attend, sending Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his stead. However, Lavrov left Bali the first day of the summit, following media reports of his hospitalization in Indonesia, which the Russian authorities have strongly denied.
On the first day of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the participants remotely from Kyiv. In his speech, he stated that if Russia wants to truly end the unprovoked war it started against Ukraine, it must prove it with action. Meanwhile, Ukraine "should not offer compromises with conscience, sovereignty, territory, and independence."
A landmark meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping also took place on the sidelines of the summit.
Russia launched a new massive missile attack against Ukraine on the first day of the summit, which resulted in a missile striking and killing two Polish citizens in Poland, near the Ukrainian border.
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