Russia praises the G20 declaration according the war in Ukraine and considers it balanced and in favor of resolving the conflict
Russia praised the G20 summit announcement that refrained from directly criticizing Moscow over the war in Ukraine and said that the group’s leaders were acting in the interest of resolving the conflict, as deliberations entered their second and final day on Sunday.
The G20 adopted a consensus declaration in New Delhi on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war, but called on all countries not to use force to seize territory.
The Russian representative in the G20, Svetlana Lukash said, “There were very difficult negotiations on the Ukraine issue, and the collective position of the BRICS countries and their partners succeeded, and was reflected in everything in a balanced manner”.
In the weeks leading up to the summit, the G20 countries worked hard to reach a consensus on the conflict in Ukraine, and the West called on various countries to criticize Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, while Russia said it would block any decision that does not reflect its views.
“This was one of the most difficult G20 summits in the forum’s nearly twenty-year history… It took nearly 20 days to agree on the declaration before the summit and five days here,” Lukash said.
She continued, “This wasn’t only due to some disagreements on the issue of Ukraine, but also due to differing positions on all major issues, most notably the issues of climate change and the transition to low-carbon energy system”.
A European Union official, who requested anonymity, said on Sunday that discussions on the G20 leaders’ declaration continued until the last minute and that the Ukraine war was the most controversial issue before a consensus was reached.
The EU official praised India’s strong leadership, adding that Brazil and South Africa also played a crucial role in the negotiations.
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among the participants in the summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sought to play a pivotal role in striking a balance between the interests of the Global South and those of the West.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said the Delhi declaration was “nothing to be proud of,” adding that a Ukrainian presence would have provided participants with a better understanding of the situation.
Ukraine has long wondered whether it can participate in the summit of the world’s largest economies.
In turn, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, Saturday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t be subject to arrest if he attends the G20 summit scheduled for next year in Brazil.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in New Delhi on the First Post news program, Lula said that Putin will be invited to attend next year’s summit.
He added that he himself intends to attend the BRICS meeting of developing countries scheduled to be held in Russia before the Rio meeting.
Lula said, “I think Putin can easily go to Brazil… What I can tell you is that if I were the president of Brazil and Putin came to Brazil, it’s impossible for him to be arrested”.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March, accusing him of committing the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Russia denies that its forces are involved in war crimes or forcibly taking Ukrainian children.
