“Text [final da cimeira] did not refer to Russia,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in New Delhi at the end of the summit.

Lavrov said that Russia succeeded in “preventing Western attempts to ‘Ukrainize’ the summit’s agenda, according to French news agency AFP.

G20 leaders, who differ on what stance to take regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, did not mention “Russian aggression” in the final text.

“We call on all countries to respect the principles of international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty,” they said in the text.

“Peaceful resolution of conflicts and efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are fundamental,” the G20 leaders added.

The statement issued by G20 leaders after last year’s summit in Bali, Indonesia, contained a paragraph in which the majority of members “strongly condemned the war in Ukraine.”

The absence of criticism of Russia in New Delhi’s statement was regretted by Ukraine on Saturday.

“The G20 has nothing to be proud of,” said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.

Lavrov said at a press conference that “the Indian presidency really succeeded in uniting the G20 participants representing the countries of the South”, according to Spanish agency EFE.

The minister said that the G20 was undergoing a process of “internal reform” carried out by the countries of the South, indicating that Brazil, South Africa, India and China were successful in making themselves heard in New Delhi.

“G20 members from the South (…) sought very clearly and persistently to have their interests taken into account in the agreements discussed in the G20 and, as a result, they were included in the declaration”, he said. .

Lavrov represents Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Another relevant absence in New Delhi was China’s leader, Xi Jinping, who was represented by Premier Li Qiang.

The G20 brings together Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, the United States, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

The African Union was accepted as a member of the group on Saturday.

Brazil replaces India in the rotating presidency of the G20.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced in New Delhi that he would invite Putin to a summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, and that the Russian leader would not be detained.

“If I were the president of Brazil and he came to Brazil, there would be no reason for him to be arrested,” he said.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, sparking a war with no end in sight.

The number of civilian and military casualties from Russia’s war against Ukraine is unknown, but some sources, including the UN, acknowledge that the number will be very high.

PNG//ZO

By Impala News / The Day After Tomorrow

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