The 18th G20 Summit was held in New Delhi, the capital of India, on 9-10 September 2023.[1] The summit in question was held under the theme of “One World, One Family, One Future.” [2] The discourse and attitude towards the Russian-Ukrainian war softened at the summit In the final declaration, Russia was not directly condemned for the war. [3] Moreover, this détente came despite the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping from the summit. This is even more remarkable.
This could mean that the global and international geopolitical system has accepted this war. In New Delhi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the joint declaration of the G20 leaders that refrained from condemning Moscow for its war against Ukraine. Lavrov said that Russia did not expect a compromise and that agreeing on the wording was “a step in the right direction”. Indeed, the closing statement of the G20 condemned the use of force for territorial gains but did not mention Russia’s aggression, prompting criticism from Ukraine. [4]
Shortly after the start of the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a consensus had been reached on how to phrase the Ukraine part of last year’s statement, which marked a softening of direct criticism of Russia. At a press conference, Lavrov said that a “turning point” had been reached. [5]
Indeed, at the G20 Summit in Bali last year, most of the parties stated that “we deplore in the strongest terms the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine”.[6] In contrast, the final declaration in New Delhi referred to the “human suffering and negative impact of the war in Ukraine on global food and energy security”. It called on states to “refrain from the threat or use of force for the purpose of territorial acquisition”, which could be seen as directed against Russia.[7]
Moreover, last year’s summit in Bali included phrases such as “Russian aggression” and “Russian withdrawal from Ukraine”. The final declaration of the summit in New Delhi did not include these phrases. Instead, the final declaration included the phrases “the threat or direct use of force with the aim of gaining territory should be avoided” and “the use of nuclear weapons and the threat of the use of nuclear weapons are unacceptable”. [8]
All of this could mean that the balance of economic and political power in the G20 is shifting from the Western Bloc to the global South and developing states in Asia. Indeed, Ukraine has expressed its disappointment with the declaration due to its wording. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko stated that the G20 organization has nothing to be proud of and that they are grateful to the actors at the Summit who tried to include harsh statements on the Russian-Ukrainian War in the final declaration. [9]
As a result, even though Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin did not attend the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi, the tone was softened towards Russia’s presence and actions in Ukraine. One reason for this is India’s balancing role within the organization. Just as India has prevented the BRICS from becoming “anti-Western”, it is also keeping the G20 away from becoming part of the Western bloc. Secondly, it can be argued that the G20 is moving away from the West and closer to the Asian bloc. Third and lastly, it can be inferred that war has become globalized and states are now imagining an international system with war rather than without war.
[1] “G20 Summit Closes with Russia, Brazil and India Boasting Success”, France 24, https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20230910-g20-summit-closes-with-russia-brazil-and-india-boasting-success, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[2] “What is the G20 and Why Does the Delhi Summit Matter?”, British Broadcasting Corporation News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-48776664, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[3] “G20: How Russia and West Agreed on Ukraine Language”, British Broadcasting Corporation News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66768145, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[4] “Russian Minister Says G20 Summit a Success After Criticism over War Blocked”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/10/russian-minister-says-g20-summit-a-success-after-criticism-over-war-blocked, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[5] “Russia Hails G20 a ‘Success’ but Declaration Riles Ukraine”, Cable News Network World, https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/10/europe/russia-g20-unconditional-success-intl/index.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[6] “What is the G20 and why Does the Delhi Summit Matter?”, British Broadcasting Corporation News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-48776664, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[7] “Russian Minister Says G20 Summit a Success After Criticism over War Blocked”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/10/russian-minister-says-g20-summit-a-success-after-criticism-over-war-blocked, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[8] “G20: How Russia and West Agreed on Ukraine Language”, British Broadcasting Corporation News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66768145, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
[9] “Ukraine Slams G20 Declaration Saying it’s ‘Nothing to be Proud of’ After Biden and Other Leaders Sign on to Document That Doesn’t call Russia an Aggressor in the War but Bans Nukes”, Daily Mail, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12500943/Ukraine-slams-G20-declaration-saying-proud-Biden-leaders-sign-document-doesnt-call-Russia-aggressor-bans-nukes.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.09.2023).
