India and China end G20 war of words over Russia

LEADERS of G20 countries, including China and India, unexpectedly agreed on a strongly worded final communiqué yesterday stating “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine” as the summit came to a close.

The document quoted a UN resolution from March that “deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory”.

“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy,” it added.

Although the document acknowledged that “there were other views and different assessments”, the fact neither China nor India vetoed the text is a significant diplomatic shift. Both have previously abstained in votes condemning Moscow’s invasion at UN summits.

In another warning to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who was not at the conference in Bali, the leaders also said “the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible”.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said the communiqué was “substantive, comprehensive and action-oriented”.

Talks between leaders at the G20 summit were this year overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding a deadly explosion in Poland close to the Ukrainian border.

They also reaffirmed a promise to “pursue efforts” to curb global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.