China blocked G20 communiqué condemning Russia's war against Ukraine

In closed-door meetings to draft a communiqué for the G20 summit, China supported Russia, thwarting attempts by Western officials to include condemning the war.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Financial Times.

"There will be no agreement on language condemning Russia's war against Ukraine," a senior German G20 official said, echoing the grim assessments of other Western delegations.

According to the outlet, the most likely would be a G20 communiqué, which would include a broad, unspecific statement that now it is "not the time for war." An alternative would be a joint statement by 19 or 18 countries.

However, people briefed on the G20 discussions say that language condemning nuclear escalation is likely to find approval.

This year's meetings of G20 finance, foreign affairs and climate ministers failed to produce a joint communiqué.

Russian President Putin will not attend the G20 summit in person, sending his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. Thus, Russian officials remain participants in the official G20 talks.

Lavrov is the highest-ranking Russian official present at the G-20 summit, which begins on Tuesday. According to The Guardian, because of his presence, world leaders declined to be photographed together during the meeting at the G20 summit in Bali.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova,14/11/2022