Russia’s worldwide alienation grew on Wednesday, as world leaders issued a joint declaration condemning its war in Ukraine, which has killed thousands of people and roiled the global economy. The Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, ended Wednesday with a leaders’ statement that “strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from Ukrainian territory.”
Following the summit’s conclusion, Indonesian President and G20 host Joko Widodo told a news conference that “world leaders agreed on the content of the declaration, namely condemnation of the war in Ukraine,” which violates the country’s territorial integrity. However, some of the language used in the declaration suggested that members were divided on Ukraine-related issues. “This war has caused massive public suffering while also putting the global economy at risk from the pandemic, which has also increased the risk of food and energy crises as well as a financial crisis.” “The G20 discussed the global economic impact of war,” he said.
The 17-page document is a significant victory for the US and its allies, who pushed to end the summit with a strong condemnation of Russia, though it also acknowledged a schism among member states. “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing global economic fragilities,” it said. “There were opposing viewpoints and assessments of the situation and sanctions.”
The “most debated” paragraph, according to Jokowi, was the G20 members’ stance on the war in Ukraine. “We discussed it until late last night, and in the end, the Bali leaders’ declaration was agreed unanimously in consensus,” Jokowi said. “We agreed that the war has a negative impact on the global economy, and that global economic recovery will not be possible in the absence of peace.”
The announcement came just hours after Poland said a “Russian-made missile” had landed in a village near the Ukrainian border, killing two people. It is still unknown who fired the missile. During the conflict, both Russian and Ukrainian forces used Russian-made munitions, with Ukraine deploying Russian-made missiles as part of their air defense system. Regardless of the outcome of the investigation into the deadly strike, the incident highlighted the dangers of miscalculation in a brutal war that has lasted nearly nine months and risks escalating further and involving major powers.
As soon as they heard the news, US President Joe Biden and leaders from the G7 and NATO convened in Bali for an emergency meeting to discuss the explosion. The adoption of the joint declaration would have required support from leaders with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, most notably Chinese President Xi Jinping, who declared a “no-limits” friendship between their countries just weeks before the invasion, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While India appears to have distanced itself from Russia, it is unclear whether China has changed its stance. In a series of bilateral meetings with Western leaders on the sidelines of the G20, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a cease-fire and agreed to oppose the use of nuclear weapons, but he has made no public commitment to persuade his “close friend” Vladimir Putin to end the war.