Media: G20 softens stance on Russia, avoids direct condemnation of Ukraine war

The world's largest economies have signalled a diminishing commitment to supporting Ukraine, issuing a joint declaration that notably softened previous criticisms of Russia's war and merely made a general reference to the "human suffering" caused by Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The statement, released by the leaders of the G20 group of advanced nations, marks the second consecutive year in which the group has refrained from issuing a direct condemnation of Russia's actions, Caliber.Az reports per Financial Times (FT).

It comes amid mounting pressure on Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from some Western allies to consider peace talks, despite Russian forces controlling around a fifth of Ukraine's territory.

This pressure also reflects growing concerns ahead of the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House. Following the US presidential election earlier this month, Trump has pledged to end the war quickly, even threatening to cut off military aid to Kyiv unless Ukraine agrees to negotiations with Russia.

Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the G20—which includes key Ukraine backers such as the US, UK, France, and Germany—issued a statement on November 18 that acknowledged the “negative added impacts of the war” and welcomed “initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace”.

Unlike last year’s summit in New Delhi, however, this year's communiqué did not include condemnation of nuclear threats related to the Ukraine conflict, a call for the cessation of attacks on food and energy infrastructure, nor the phrase “Today’s era must not be of war,” which had been championed by Western nations as diplomatic criticisms of Moscow.

The Rio de Janeiro statement contained just one paragraph on the war in Ukraine, compared to seven in the 2023 communiqué. One senior Western diplomat noted, “It is not the language on Ukraine that we would have liked to see.”

Negotiations surrounding the war and other conflicts, such as the situation in the Middle East, were only finalised in the days leading up to the summit, reflecting the deep divides between Western members and countries like Russia, China, and other developing nations with close ties to Moscow.

Some European delegations had advocated for stronger language condemning Russia following a devastating missile and drone attack on Ukrainian civilian targets, but this demand was ultimately dropped to prevent jeopardising the joint statement.

“There’s nothing on the latest attacks,” one European diplomat remarked. “But nobody wanted to push too far, otherwise it would have led to a standoff and no statement at all.”

Key elements of the communiqué included calls for wealthier individuals to be more effectively taxed, measures to reduce poverty, a ceasefire in Gaza, and reforms to the UN Security Council—all priorities of the host nation, Brazil, and its President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The statement was issued in the name of all G20 members, despite objections from Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, a right-wing libertarian and Trump supporter. Milei published a separate statement criticising several aspects of the G20 declaration, including the call for state intervention to combat hunger.

The communiqué also reiterated last year’s call for climate finance to increase from billions to trillions of dollars. However, the omission of any reference to transitioning away from fossil fuels was criticised by some delegates at the COP climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

By Aghakazim Guliyev