G20 meeting ends without joint statement after China, Russia oppose condemning invasion of Ukraine

A Feb. 25 G20 meeting in India has ended without a traditional joint statement after China and Russia refused to agree on a section of the draft document condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

China and Russia took issue with two paragraphs of the G20 Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document as member states' finance ministers and central bank governors met in Bangalore.

Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the document, taken from the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration on Nov. 15-16, 2022, were agreed on by all other 18 member states.

The text firmly condemned Russia's war against Ukraine and demanded Russian forces' unconditional withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, as well as the need to uphold international law and the multilateral system safeguarding peace and stability.

“The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts and efforts to address crises, diplomacy, and dialogue are vital. Today’s era must not be of war,” paragraph 4 read.

President Volodymyr Zelensky told the G20 summit in Bali in November that he is "convinced now is the time when the destructive Russian war must and can be stopped."

Zelensky also said there would be no Minsk 3, referencing two failed agreements to end Russia's the original war in Ukraine's Donbas region signed  in 2014 and 2015.

“We will not allow Russia to wait out and build up its forces," Zelensky said.

Why Ukraine chooses to negotiate on the battlefield, not at peace talks

The Kyiv Independent