India Pushes Russia, China To Join G20 Consensus On War Wording

According to a senior person with knowledge of the situation, India is trying to persuade Moscow and Beijing to support a consensus on how to describe Russia's conflict in Ukraine, similar to the one reached by leaders of the Group of 20 nations last year. Before the G-20 foreign ministers conference, which will begin later on Wednesday, efforts are being made to resolve concerns, the person said, declining to be named since the talks are private. The group's most recent sessions take place as Vladimir Putin's conflict enters its second year. G-20 finance ministers and central bankers met over the weekend, but were unable to agree on how to characterise Russia's aggression in Ukraine. As a result, India, the meeting's host nation, decided to release a chair's summary rather than the customary joint communiqué. As a result of their objections to the word "war," Russia and China departed from the Bali formula, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The person said that New Delhi had also advocated for adherence to the language of the G-20 statement from Bali from last November at the meeting of finance heads. There was a deadlock since it was unable to persuade China and Russia to agree. Russia's Foreign Ministry accused the US and the EU of "terrorism" and of encouraging its actions in Ukraine only hours before the foreign ministers conference, hinting at the challenges New Delhi may have in uniting all the member countries. The statement said, "We are ready to openly convey Russia's views of the existing security, energy, and food crises." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs's spokeswoman did not immediately respond with any comments. To garner the support of as many G-20 leaders as possible, the joint declaration from the summit in November included reference to "the conflict in Ukraine" rather than "Russia's war in Ukraine."  Beijing and Moscow's synchronised measures at the G-20 reflect a deepening friendship even as the various nations led by the US have implemented tough sanctions to isolate and punish Russia for its war in Ukraine. India, which is importing growing volumes of cheap crude and is largely dependent on military gear from Russia, doesn't want to get drawn into either side. They said that New Delhi's main objective is to ensure the success of the G-20, but they did not specify if India will publicly name those that diverge from the Bali agreement and continue to oppose a common statement.