US: Russia, China less likely to sign G20 declaration

The United States was hopeful about signing a joint declaration at the G20 Summit this weekend in New Delhi but has also highlighted that it might prove to be difficult to get the consensus of countries like Russia and China to sign it, which could lead to the G20 Summit ending without a joint communique.

The G20, comprised of major economies from around the world, has often struggled to reach a consensus on key issues due to differing priorities and political stances among its member nations.

US hopes for joint declaration in G20

John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications made a statement at the white house about the joint communique at the upcoming G20 Summit. He said “We certainly hope so. But, I think you know it’s difficult to get 20 clocks to chime at the same time; we’re going to work on this. We know that the Indians also would like to see a joint communique…so we’ll see where it goes.”

The NSC coordinator highlighted that the Ukraine-Russia war could be the key obstacle in reaching a joint declaration. He also mentioned that countries like Russia and China have historically been less inclined to sign onto language that is in alignment with the rest of the international community

“Oftentimes, the sticking point tends to be the war in Ukraine because countries like Russia and China are less likely to sign on to language that the rest of the international community is more comfortable signing on to, so we’ll see where it goes,” Kirby said.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has also made it clear that his country will block any summit declaration that doesn’t reflect Moscow’s views on Ukraine and other crises. India, on the other hand, has insisted that a final agreement is within reach despite the geopolitical tensions.

This remark by Kirby comes a day before President Joe Biden departs for New Delhi on Thursday.

G20 Grouping 

G20 countries together represent 85 percent of the world’s GDP, 75 percent of the world’s trade, and around two-thirds of the global population.

The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).