G20 denounces Russian aggression in Ukraine

• G20 leaders have deplored Russia’s assault against Ukraine.
• Most members strongly denounced the Ukraine war.
• They noted other viewpoints.

G20 leaders have deplored Russia’s assault against Ukraine “in the harshest terms.”

The final declaration, approved Wednesday after a two-day conference in Indonesia, said most members strongly denounced the Ukraine war but noted other viewpoints.

It was notable considering the divides among the group, which includes not just Russia but also China and India, which have important commercial connections with Moscow and have avoided criticising the conflict.

The G-20 is “not the forum to resolve security challenges,” the statement said.

The communiqué stressed international law must be upheld and condemned nuclear threats. War has stopped much-needed food from reaching world markets.

“Many members…expressed concern about the damage to vital health infrastructure and health care worker casualties,” the declaration read.

The Ukraine conflict hurts the global economy, it said. Members’ central banks will continue to calibrate monetary policy tightening, the communiqué added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led the Russian delegation to the conference in the absence of President Vladimir Putin.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned it was “important to prevent escalating the Ukraine war.”

His comments followed an explosion in NATO member Poland, which stoked fears the alliance could be pushed into Russia’s nine-month war against Western-backed Ukraine.

Who fired the rocket that killed two in Poland was unclear.

The attack was meant to ignite a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, Russia’s UN ambassador said.

Dmitry Polyansky warned on Telegram that a direct military battle between NATO and Russia is being planned.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told G20 leaders there was a “terrorist state.”

Zelenskyy dubbed Russia’s attack on Poland a “real G20 statement.”

Poland says it has no evidence of the missile’s launcher. US officials told AP that Ukraine may have fired the missile to shoot down a Russian missile.

G20 leaders agreed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), including “phasing down” coal consumption.

All governments must take significant, effective action, the declaration added.

The G20 represents two-thirds of the world’s population and four-fifths of its economic strength, according to Oxfam.

In the middle of a debt, austerity, and inequality crisis, Oxfam’s G20 lead Joern Kalinski anticipated more from the world’s greatest economies.

“The world needs concrete action to avert economic devastation for poor people and countries, but we got rehashed assurances, a simmering debt crisis, and vaccine and health steps as useful as a band aid on a broken leg.”

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