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The world’s biggest economies have signalled weakening support for Ukraine, issuing a joint declaration that watered down previously agreed criticism of Russia’s war against the country and included only a broad reference to “human suffering” caused by Moscow’s 1,000-day invasion.
The statement from the leaders of the G20 group of advanced economies, which declined for a second year to issue an outright condemnation of Moscow’s invasion, came as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has come under increased pressure from some western allies to consider peace talks despite Russian troops occupying about a fifth of the country’s territory.
That pressure also came partly in anticipation of Donald Trump’s second term, after the US presidential election earlier this month. Trump has vowed to end the war as soon as possible and has threatened to cut off US military aid to Kyiv if Ukraine did not agree to negotiations with Russia.
Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the G20 — which includes the leaders of critical Ukraine allies such as the US, UK, France and Germany — agreed a statement on Monday that referenced the “negative added impacts of the war” and welcomed “initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace”.
Unlike the document produced by last year’s G20 summit in New Delhi, this year’s communiqué did not include a condemnation of Ukraine-related nuclear threats, a demand for a cessation of attacks on food and energy infrastructure or the phrase: “Today’s era must not be of war.”
All had been touted by western powers last year as diplomatic criticisms of Moscow.
The Rio document included just one paragraph devoted to the war in Ukraine, compared with seven paragraphs in the New Delhi statement.
“It is not the language on Ukraine that we would have liked to see,” said one senior diplomat from a western G20 member.
The negotiations over Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East were left until the final days before the summit, a reflection of the wide gulf between western members of the group and states such as Russia, China and other developing countries with close links to Moscow.
Some European delegations had pushed for tougher language condemning Russia in the wake of a huge missile and drone attack on Sunday that hit civilian Ukrainian targets, but ultimately dropped that demand amid fears that it could scupper the entire joint statement.
“The language is not strong enough . . . there’s nothing on the latest attacks,” said one European diplomat in Rio. “But nobody wanted to push too far, otherwise it would have been a fight and there would be no statement.”
Central aspects of the communiqué included calls for effective taxation of the super-rich, measures to alleviate poverty, a ceasefire in Gaza and reform of the UN Security Council, top priorities of host nation Brazil and its President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The statement was issued in the name of all G20 members despite objections from Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a rightwing libertarian and admirer of Trump, who published a statement that took aim at several elements including state intervention to combat hunger.
The declaration also repeated last year’s demand for climate finance to increase from billions to trillions of dollars.
However, the absence of a reference to the transition away from fossil fuels was criticised by some diplomats at the COP climate conference being held this week in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Additional reporting by Attracta Mooney in Baku