The most important gathering of world leaders since the start of the pandemic opens in the tropical setting of the Indonesian island of Bali after nearly nine months of a deadly war with serious economic consequences for the planet, and the nuclear threat which plane.
The invasion of Ukraine is not on the official agenda of the G20 but dominates the meeting, so much does it worry and also deepen the divisions between Westerners supporting kyiv and other countries, China in the lead, who refuse to condemn Moscow .
While his army is retreating in southern Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has decided to shun the event and has himself represented by his irremovable head of diplomacy Sergei Lavrov, officially for scheduling reasons.
Another absence, that of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who tested positive for Covid-19 just before the summit.
– Towards a joint press release? –
In a sign of the fractures within the G20, a club of major world economies originally created to agree on financial issues, the host of the summit, Indonesia, had warned that one should not expect the traditional joint press release, each comma of which is the subject of intense negotiations so as not to upset anyone.
But an agreement was reached on Monday evening on a common text at the level of the negotiators, indicated the President of the European Council Charles Michel calling “all the parties to increase the pressure on Russia”.
According to a Western source, the document will qualify the invasion of Ukraine as a “war”, a term however rejected by Moscow which speaks of a “special operation” aimed at “denazifying” Ukraine. But it will also leave latitude to each country in its position.
“I think you will see that most of the G20 members will make it clear that they condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine, and see Russia as the main cause of the immense economic and humanitarian suffering in the world.” , said a senior US official on condition of anonymity.
The G20 countries are particularly concerned about the possible expiry on Friday of the agreement reached in July under the aegis of Turkey to export cereals from Ukraine. An agreement described Monday evening as crucial for “world food security” by the head of the UN Antonio Guterres, who warned of the risk of famine.
Russia casts doubt on its extension, while Russian grain exports remain hampered.
– “Stability” in play –
If Vladimir Putin will be absent, in person as well as online, the Ukrainian president must speak to the leaders of the G20 by video link.
All eyes will be on China, a great power whose President Xi Jinping has moved even closer to Vladimir Putin on the eve of war, forming a common front against what they describe as Western hegemonic wills.
Beijing has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24 and rejects the sanctions adopted by the West.
During a Tuesday morning meeting with the Chinese leader, French President Emmanuel Macron pleaded for China to “unite (its) forces” with its partners against the war, stressing that “stability” in the world was also in ” interest” of Beijing.
On Monday, it was US President Joe Biden who pleaded this cause during his first face-to-face with Xi Jinping since his election, claiming to have obtained the agreement of his Chinese counterpart on the rejection of any recourse to nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
Westerners would like the G20 to come out explicitly against this risk of escalation.
Faced with the Russian threat, many of them want to strengthen their military capabilities and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Bali with the announcement of an order for five war frigates, in the name of the Russian “threat”.
This contract of nearly five billion euros contrasts with the massive savings prepared by the British government.
“At the G20, Putin’s regime – which has stifled domestic dissent and crafted a veneer of legitimacy solely through violence – will hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions,” Sunak warned in a statement. .
