Russia threatens to block G20 declaration over Ukraine dispute
Russia has issued a warning that it will block the final declaration of the upcoming G20 summit if the statement does not incorporate Moscow's stance on Ukraine and other international issues. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov conveyed this message, indicating that participants may be forced to release a non-binding or partial communique instead.
Lavrov, who has held the position of Russia's foreign minister since 2004, is slated to represent his country at the Group of 20 (G20) summit, scheduled for September 9-10 in New Delhi. Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not traveled abroad since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March, citing suspicion of war crimes in Ukraine.
In his address to students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Lavrov made it clear that a comprehensive declaration, representing all G20 members, would not materialize if Russia's perspective was not included.
The Kremlin frames the Ukraine conflict, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, as an existential struggle against a presumptuous West. Putin asserts that the West seeks to dismantle Russia and exploit its abundant natural resources. Western nations deny harboring such intentions but emphasize their support for Ukraine's efforts to counter Russia militarily. In response to the invasion, the West has imposed multiple rounds of extensive economic sanctions on Russia, which has termed its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation."
Although prominent powers like China, India, and Brazil have called for peace in the region, they have also reserved the right to independently determine their relationship with Moscow. China, for instance, has accused Western nations of exacerbating the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Lavrov noted that Ukraine had been a recurring topic in meetings leading up to the G20 summit, with Russia asserting that it considers the issue resolved. He accused the West of undermining international institutions by advancing its own agenda. In the event that consensus proves unattainable at the G20 gathering, Lavrov suggested that an alternative could be a non-binding communique issued by the G20 presidency, or a document that centers on specific decisions within the scope of G20 competences, allowing each nation to express the rest of its views independently.
