G-20 leaders reach consensus, call for peace in Ukraine

NEW DELHI

The G-20 leaders agreed on a consensus declaration on the first day of talks in New Delhi on Saturday, calling for peace in Ukraine and urging states to avoid the use of force to seize territory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of host India said the leaders' declaration of the weekend summit, not attended by the Chinese and Russian presidents, had been adopted. "I have received good news. Due to the hard work of our team, consensus has been built on New Delhi G20 Leaders' Summit Declaration. My proposal is to adopt this leadership declaration," he said.

The consensus was a breakthrough as the Group of 20 is divided over the war in Ukraine, with the West said to be pushing for condemnation in the declaration.

“We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability,” the statement said.

“We … welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine,” it said, adding that the “use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”

The leaders also highlighted the "human suffering and negative" impacts of the war that started in February 2022, with regard to global food and energy security, inflation and growth, and called for implementation of Black Sea Grain Initiative to ensure the "immediate and unimpeded deliveries" of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizers from Russia and Ukraine.

"This is necessary to meet the demand in developing and least developed countries, particularly those in Africa," it said.​​​​​​​

On July 17, Russia suspended its participation in the pact, brokered by Türkiye and the UN to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports that were paused after Moscow's "special military operation" in February 2022.

Russia has repeatedly complained that the West has not met its obligations, and there are restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance on shipments of its own food and fertilizer exports.

The declaration said the leaders emphasized to address debt vulnerabilities in low and middle- income countries in an “effective, comprehensive and systematic manner,” endorsed the proposal for “regulation, supervision and oversight” of cryptocurrencies, resolved to encourage efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally, and called for accelerating efforts towards “phasedown of unabated coal power, in line with national circumstances and recognizing the need for support towards just transitions.”

They committed to "urgently accelerate our actions to address environmental crises and challenges including climate change."

The G-20 also welcomed the African Union as a permanent member and emphasized its strong support for the continent.

The statement said Brazil will host the summit in 2024, South Africa in 2025, and the US in 2026.