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Hoping for a Joint Communique at G20
In the absence of a joint communiqué, consensus in other areas could fall apart
Different reports coming out of New Delhi and attributed to “sources” maintain that a consensus on a joint communique or joint statement at the end of the two day Summit of the Group of 20 is becoming elusive as positions are widening, not narrowing, and perhaps even hardening on one issue—the Russia-Ukraine war.
It is not too difficult to see where the differences are: the G 7 and the European Union insist on naming Russia as the aggressor and calling for an end to its war against Ukraine. On the other side are Russia and China who want no mention of the war. “If India is not able to work out a compromise, a joint communique is out of the question”, a source is quoted in Business Line newspaper.
What has been said in some quarters is that the G 20 is primarily an economics-focussed organisation and as such should stay away from politics. That said it is also becoming clear that the agenda of climate change, economic development, debt burden and discussions of food and fertilizers is getting blind sided by the deep and entrenched divisions over the Ukrainian conflict with Moscow and Beijing on one side and the entire western bloc on the other.
In fact, some in the West have voiced disappointment that the President of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelensky, has not been invited to the G 20 summit.
In recent days, Moscow has expressed dismay at the influx of new weaponry into the conflict by the West and this has in many ways hardened the stance of Russia. Aside from routine military supplies to Ukraine, Washington has followed Britain in announcing its intention to supply depleted uranium anti-tank rounds to Kyiv that will be used to arm the Abrams tanks that will be delivered in the fall.
All this to help Ukraine in its counter offensives. Russia claims that these depleted rounds have nuclear components and hence opening the door to escalation, including the use of nuclear weapons.
The apprehension in some quarters is that any high sounding rhetoric on the conflict in the Ukraine will weaken resolve in other areas and that, in the absence of a joint communiqué, consensus in other areas could fall apart. For now, one bright light seems to be on including the African Union as a full member.
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