‘Beginning of the end of war’, says Zelensky

Ukraine’s president and Biden hailed the victory in Kherson as the G20 agreed on a draft communique despite differences over Russia’s war

NEW DELHI/NUSA DUA/KHERSON: Russia and its war in Ukraine played prominently in discussions ahead of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia starting on Tuesday as US President Joe Biden on Monday hailed the victory of Ukrainian forces in the Kherson region last week.

G20 diplomats agreed on a proposed communique to put to their leaders when they meet on Tuesday in Bali, Indonesia, after a tense day of negotiations to overcome differences on how hard to criticise Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to officials familiar with the matter.

If leaders sign off it will avoid this becoming the first G20 summit to end without a joint statement at all. The teams of the 20 members led by their sherpas or personal representatives of the heads of state and government extended their closed-door consultations beyond midnight on Sunday after being unable to make a breakthrough, people familiar with the matter said.

A three-member Indian team led by Sherpa Amitabh Kant was part of continuing efforts on Monday night to find common ground between G20 members, they said.

Lavrov is leading the Russian delegation to the G20 Summit, with President Vladimir Putin staying away, and some reports suggesting that he may participate virtually.

Efforts by the US and its Western partners to retain language in the draft communiqué denouncing the war in Ukraine were blocked by China and Russia during negotiations, the people said.

The Indonesian side pressed Western nations to make concessions over the language criticising Russia to ensure a joint communiqué.

There was no agreement on G20 leaders participating in a traditional group photo before beginning their discussions on Tuesday morning as Western leaders did not wish to be seen in images alongside Lavrov.

Zelensky in Kherson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a triumphant visit to the newly liberated city of Kherson on Monday, hailing the Russian withdrawal as the “beginning of the end of the war”.

The retaking of Kherson was one of Ukraine’s biggest successes in the nearly nine months since Moscow’s invasion. It served another stinging blow to the Kremlin and could become a springboard for further advances into occupied territory.

“This is the beginning of the end of the war,” he said. “We are step by step coming to all the temporarily occupied territories.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday refused to comment on Zelensky’s visit , saying only that “you know that it is the territory of the Russian Federation.” Russia illegally annexed the Kherson region and three others earlier this year.

Biden hailed Ukraine’s recapture of Kherson as a “significant, significant victory”, but said fighting would now slow going into winter and the war’s outcome “remains to be seen”.