Most G20 nations condemn Russia's war in Ukraine

Most G20 nations condemn Russia's war in Ukraine

Ukrinform
Finance ministers of the world's largest economies strongly condemned Moscow for its war on Ukraine on Saturday, with only China and Russia itself declining to sign a joint statement.

That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

India, which as chair of the G20 economies was hosting a meeting in the city of Bengaluru, was reluctant to raise the issue of the war but Western nations insisted they could not back any outcome that did not include a condemnation.

The lack of consensus among G20 members meant India resorted to issuing a "chair's summary and outcome document" in which it simply summed up the two days of talks and noted disagreements.

"Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy," the statement said.

"There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions," it said, referring to measures put in place by the United States, European countries and others to punish Russia for the invasion and to starve it of revenues.

Two delegates told Reuters that Russia and China did not want the G20 platform to be used to discuss political matters.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said China's refusal to join the declaration was "regrettable".

"It's becoming difficult for the G20 to engage in constructive discussion because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is an act that shakes the foundations of the global order," Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen earlier told Reuters that it was "absolutely necessary" for any statement to condemn Russia.

The outcome was similar to that of a G20 summit in Bali last November when host Indonesia also issued a final declaration acknowledging differences.

China and India were among the nations that abstained on Thursday, February 23, when UN voted overwhelmingly to demand Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine and stop fighting.

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