G20 Summit: Delegates reach 'compromise' on wording for Ukraine-Russia war
After much wrangling and deliberation, delegates attending the G20 Summit reportedly "reached a compromise" on Saturday on the wording to describe the Ukraine-Russia war. Reuters reported that it may be similar to the language in the declaration issued in Indonesia at the 2022 summit, which noted that while most nations condemned Russia for the invasion, there were also differing views.
Why does this story matter?
This decision was reached at the high-profile G20 Summit in Delhi on Saturday. Reportedly, the group has been divided on the Ukraine war for years. While Western countries demanded strong condemnation of Russia in the Leaders' Declaration that will be released at the end of the summit on Sunday, others called for a focus on broader economic problems.
Details on previous draft regarding Ukraine crisis
An earlier draft of the summit declaration stated that negotiators were unable to settle differences over the phrasing of the Ukraine crisis, leaving it up to the leaders to strike a compromise if possible. According to Reuters, the 38-page draft that was circulated among members left the "geopolitical situation" column blank, while a consensus was reached on the other 75 paragraphs covering various matters.
Russian president skipped G20 summit
Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending the two-day G20 Summit due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is representing the country in India instead. Besides Putin, other key absentees include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
African Union announced permanent member of G20
In another major development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day announced that the African Union (AU) will be made a permanent member of the G20 bloc. This comes right after the G20 nations agreed to the addition of the AU as one of the permanent members of the bloc at the request of the union.
