Wall Street: War in Ukraine, US-China tensions dominate G20 foreign ministers’ meeting

The March 1-2 meeting of G20 foreign ministers comes days after the bloc’s finance chiefs met in Bangalore, where they sparred over Russia’s condemnation of the war, failing to reach consensus on a joint statement. Summary document instead.

The outcome of the G20 summit in Bali last November was similar, with host country Indonesia conceding differences and issuing a final report.

Last July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walked out of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting after the West strongly condemned the war in Bali.

The meeting in New Delhi will be attended by Lavrov, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Britain’s James Wise, while China is expected to send its foreign minister, Qin Gang. In total, representatives of 40 countries, non-G20 members and multilateral organizations invited by India will attend.

The G20 bloc includes the wealthy G7 democracies, Russia, China, India, Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

A meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Quad countries of USA, India, Australia and Japan is also scheduled on the side.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wants to focus on issues such as climate change and developing country debt at this week’s meeting, an Indian foreign ministry official said, as he was not allowed to speak to government media.

India does not want Ukraine to dominate the event, but it will be at the top of the agenda, the official said. However, he said, New Delhi’s aim is to “continue to raise the voice of the Global South and raise issues relevant to the region”.

The foreign ministers’ meeting will also focus on tensions between Washington and Beijing, including the war in Ukraine.

China, along with Russia, refused to sign the Finance Ministers’ Brief in Bengaluru.

Earlier on Monday, China accused the US of posing a “danger” to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait after a US P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flew through the vital waterway.

Balloon tension

Relations between the US and China have been strained this month after the US military shot down a Chinese spy balloon flying over the US. China says the balloon was a civilian research vessel that accidentally veered off course and calls the U.S. response an overreaction.

Because of the controversy, Blinken has postponed a planned visit to Beijing.

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, called the US’s handling of the balloon incident “unimaginable” and “hysterical”.

New Delhi has tried to walk a delicate neutral line in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Modi has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is not the time for war, but India has refused to blame Moscow for the conflict and is seeking a diplomatic solution.

Anil Wadhwa, a former Indian diplomat and distinguished fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi, said differences over the conflict would resurface at this week’s meeting.

“It is unlikely that G20 foreign ministers will agree on a common language proposing ways and means of dealing with the situation in Ukraine,” he said.

“There are many reasons, but the main reason is that the situation in Ukraine has become very volatile.”