CNN: G20 countries refused to openly condemn their own in order to avoid a split
Rich countries had to give in and agree to softer language regarding the conflict in Ukraine in the final statement of the G20 summit, CNN reports. Otherwise, there would be no document at all, and this would lead to a split in the ranks of the association.
New Delhi – After spending hundreds of hours on negotiations and drawing up more than a dozen projects, representatives of the richest countries of the world on Friday evening faced a very difficult choice: to accept the softened wording about Ukraine in the final G20 statement or to remain without a final declaration at all.
Time was running out, and the leaders chose the first option, hoping to avoid an open split in the ranks of the association. It would be a blow to the reputation of the G20 and a disgrace for the organizer of the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
By doing so, the G20 received a statement in which there is no open condemnation of Russia's actions, but the commitment of the 20 member countries of the association to respect territorial integrity and fight for peace is set out.
The diplomats who participated in the negotiations spoke about the hard work that resulted in the final document. He caused disappointment among many supporters of Ukraine, despite the public support from the White House.
Ukraine itself said about the declaration that "there is nothing to be proud of."
Negotiations and meetings lasted 200 hours, diplomats made 15 different projects. This was told by the official representative of the Indian government, who was responsible for organizing the process.
Throughout the discussion, representatives of Russia and China constantly tried to remove the most acute formulations regarding the conflict in Ukraine from the text, the diplomats said. All attention was focused on a paragraph from last year's G20 declaration, which was adopted in Bali. In it, Russia's actions were condemned.
Representatives of a number of developing countries in the G20, many of which maintain ties with Moscow, expressed doubts about the need to include last year's wording in the current statement. Because of this, it was necessary to conduct lengthy negotiations on how to characterize the conflict in Ukraine.
The diplomats who participated in the discussions said that bickering on this issue became the most difficult part of the negotiations. In some drafts of the declaration there was no mention of the conflict at all.
On the eve of the summit, it became clear that the statement agreed by the leaders would not contain phrases reminiscent of last year's declaration.
By midnight on Friday, the diplomats involved in the negotiations realized that the only way out of the current situation was compromise formulations, since otherwise there would be no statement at all.
"The G7 or NATO would not have written such a statement," said one European negotiator. – But this is a different association. And the expectations from him should be different."
Even French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that the text of the statement was not entirely satisfactory. "Let's admit that the G20 is not a forum for political discussions," he said. The French President made it clear that the summit is more suitable for negotiations on the economy and climate change.
White House officials were quick to praise the adopted document, calling it "significant" and "unprecedented." They noted that, although it does not openly mention Russian actions, the statement nevertheless convinced countries such as Brazil and South Africa, which did not take any side in the conflict, to agree with the need to preserve territorial integrity and stop attacks on infrastructure.
Biden himself said on Sunday that the final declaration does not drive a wedge into relations with the Global South. It demonstrates Russia's intransigence, the politician stressed.
"This is a controversial issue in relations with Russia, which is part of, and with China, which is part of and has sent a representative," Biden said at a press conference.
On the sidelines, officials recalled how important the current G20 summit is in order to elevate Modi to the level of a statesman on a global scale. If the summit had ended without a statement, it would have caused great disappointment, because this has not happened in the last 15 years.
The US and Europe are trying to court Modi, calling him a partner and raising his status on the world stage. Because of this, it was difficult for them to block the final declaration, the diplomats said.
Author of the article: Kevin Liptak
