- According to Reuters, India does not want the G20 to call Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “war”.
- The official tried to persuade members to call it a “crisis”, but was met with opposition.
- India’s position mirrors Russia’s position that the war should be called a “special military operation.”
India has tried to stop G20 countries who describe the war started by Russia in Ukraine as a “war” even as the conflict enters its second year, the report says.
During group negotiations on Wednesday’s joint communiqué, India tried to persuade G20 members to instead call the war a “crisis” or “challenge”. Reuters and bloomberg report.
Reuters cited representatives from at least seven G20 countries for its report, while Bloomberg cited another person familiar with the matter.
Reuters reported that the Indian delegation tried to reach consensus, but was unsuccessful. The meeting continued in Bangalore on Thursday.
India’s unwillingness to use the word “war” is in keeping with the Kremlin’s own tastes. Russia has also discouraged the term, preferring to refer to it as a “special military operation,” a phrase used by Vladimir Putin when announcing the invasion.
(He occasionally used the word “war” in defiance of his own rules, but the euphemism continues to circulate in the official Russian media.)
Russia is a member of the G20 and has a delegation to the conference. Reuters reported that deputies were to be sent to the finance minister and central bank governor rather than the officials themselves.
China also refused to call the war a “war”, calling it a “crisis” instead. wall street journal.
While India has not explicitly sided with Russia, it has continued to support the country economically by refusing to impose sanctions and scooping up Russian oil and natural gas imports.
India’s imports of Russian oil hit a record high of 1.4 million barrels per day in January. Reuters The report cited data from trade sources.
“India is not keen to discuss or support additional sanctions against Russia at the G20,” an Indian official told Reuters. “Existing sanctions against Russia are having a negative impact on the world.”
The G20’s collective hesitation over whether war should be called war is a significant step back from its position in November 2022. declaration Conflicts are called wars.
The declaration of 16 November stated that “most Member States strongly condemned the war in Ukraine. pointed out that there is
The meeting in Bangalore marks the first milestone in India’s one-year presidency of the G20. It coincides with the first anniversary of the war, which began on February 24, 2022.
