G20 Summit: Here's How Prime Minister Modi's Team Forged Consensus On Contentious Ukraine Issue

The G20 Summit has recently concluded with the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, which is expected to shape the diplomatic and political discourse on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

This text aims to set the tone for negotiations between the West-led G7 group supporting Ukraine and Russia, which enjoys China's backing.

According to a G7 official, the consensus text provides a basis for seeking a just and lasting peace in Ukraine once the war ends.

During the hectic negotiations for the joint communique, officials from various member states worked hard to find common ground and formulate an acceptable solution, according to a report from The Indian Express.

The challenge arose when the two paragraphs in the Bali declaration were shattered shortly after the November 2022 G20 Summit.

These paragraphs were seen as "divisive" and "divergent" because they echoed the UN resolutions that condemned Russian aggression, a stance India had abstained from.

In Bali, both, the G7's condemnation of the war in Ukraine and Russia's reservations on unilateral sanctions were taken into notice.

The declaration not only considered the impact of the war on the global economy, but it also recognised the Russian-Chinese perspective that the G20 should focus solely on economic matters and not discuss security issues.

The declaration not only acknowledged the connection between security and the economy, but it also emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, citing the UN charter and stressing that  “today’s era must not be of war.”

According to an official closely involved in the process, the Delhi declaration required a complete overhaul in language.

The goal was to create a text that would satisfy all members and allow each of them to claim a victory.

The G7, in nearly 200 meetings across 50 different locations, pushed for strong language in their criticism of Russia.

Meanwhile, China stood up for its unwavering friendship with no restrictions.

This divide was so pronounced that the two sides refused to be photographed together at every G20 meeting.

The G20 New Delhi Declaration has been adopted, with a sense of consensus among the members.

New Delhi took the decision to engage with each member of the group individually and separately in order to understand their red lines. This required hours of careful conversation.

According to sources, Russia and China consistently shared the same perspective, opposing any mention of Russian aggression or condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

The G7 group sought to include references to UN resolutions, as well as addressing "war and territorial expansionism".

They emphasised the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the need for a just and durable peace in Ukraine.

India focused on representing the "voice of Global South" and formed a team consisting of Brazil, the next host in 2024, South Africa, the host in 2025, and Indonesia, the previous host.

Together, they worked on various negotiating teams, with Brazil being particularly active and supportive.

Leaders from both sides engaged in political outreach during the G20 summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to President Vladimir Putin, while Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira held discussions with Lavrov.

Two key consensuses emerged during the summit.

Firstly, the G20 was recognised as the last functioning global forum, unlike the United Nations Security Council, which has been hindered by veto power and has effectively collapsed.

Secondly, it was acknowledged that the Global South has been disproportionately affected by the consequences of war.

In order to reach a consensus, the Global South countries communicated to the G7 that a direct reference to Russia would need to be omitted.

This was necessary to avoid the divisive consensus that occurred in Bali. Unlike last time, the declaration did not mention voting records and abstentions, focusing instead on recalling UN resolutions.

The Delhi Declaration includes a line addressing the threat or use of force for territorial acquisition against the sovereignty and independence of any state. The G7 interpreted this as targeting Russia, while Russia saw it as targeting the US, UK, or France. Developing countries also used this as an opportunity to send a message to the powerful P-5 nations.

China and Russia raised a new perspective within the G20, emphasising its role as an economic forum rather than a political one.

However, New Delhi and the Global South acknowledged that geopolitical and security issues can also impact the financial situation, aligning with the viewpoint of the West represented by the G7 grouping.

Both sides considered this acknowledgement as a victory.

The Global South, which played a key role in introducing this new language, emphasised the impact they were experiencing, a concern shared by both the G7 and the Russia-China bloc.

During negotiations, India faced the most significant challenges and disagreements with regards to the paragraph addressing military infrastructure and civilians.

The West viewed this as a criticism of Russia's actions in Ukraine, but Moscow saw it as something they were also experiencing in the war.

New Delhi referred to it as "creative ambiguity" in the statement, which stated, “In this context, emphasizing the importance of sustaining food and energy security, we called for the cessation of military destruction or other attacks on relevant infrastructure. We also expressed deep concern about the adverse impact that conflicts have on the security of civilians thereby exacerbating existing socio-economic fragilities and vulnerabilities and hindering an effective humanitarian response”.

Both sides of the conflict felt that their grievances were reflected in this statement.

Another paragraph of note was the absence of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in the recently concluded BRICS summit.

India, South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia, representing the Global South, presented it as an important issue for developing and least-developed countries. This point was difficult for Russia and China to reject.

Additionally, the statement highlighted the need to meet the demand for food in developing and least-developed countries, particularly in Africa. The participation of the African Union in the summit added significant weight to this issue.

In conclusion, the statement addressed various concerns and grievances related to the conflict in Ukraine.

The G7 emphasised the importance of Ukraine's call for a "just and durable peace" in their communique.

New Delhi incorporated this message within its broader summit theme highlighting their commitment to addressing the negative impact of war on the global economy.

It emphasised, “We will unite in our endeavour to address the adverse impact of the war on the global economy and welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine that will uphold all the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter for the promotion of peaceful, friendly, and good neighbourly relations among nations in the spirit of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.”

In addition, New Delhi included paragraphs on territorial integrity in the communique.

It stated, “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 peaceful resolution of conflicts, and efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue are critical.”

This was seen by Beijing as a reference to the US approach towards Taiwan, while Delhi viewed it as a message to China regarding the border standoff. The G7 interpreted it as a message to Russia, whereas Moscow saw it as directed at NATO.