EU not sure G20 will be able to agree on declaration due to different stances over war in Ukraine

There is no certainty in the EU that the leaders of the G20 countries, who will gather for a summit in New Delhi this weekend, will be able to reach a consensus on a joint declaration due to the contradictions surrounding the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

Source: This was stated by Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, on Friday, reports European Pravda with reference to Reuters

Quote: "It's difficult to predict if it will be possible to have an agreement on the declaration. We are still negotiating," Michel said.

Quote: "I don't intend to say something that will make the efforts more difficult. We support the efforts made by the Indian presidency," he added. 

Deeper and more entrenched divisions over Russia's war in Ukraine risk undermining progress on issues such as food security, the debt crisis and global cooperation on climate change, analysts say. 

India, which chairs the group, wants the summit's final communiqué to also take into account the views of Russia and China, which have blocked Western efforts to include a strong condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the summit, with Moscow sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead and Premier Li Qiang representing Beijing. 

Michel said the European Union wanted the G20 to focus on addressing global food and energy security issues, noting that Russia's blockade of Ukraine's grain exports through the Black Sea was one of the key issues to be discussed at the weekend's talks. 

Quote: "The EU will continue to strongly back Ukraine and pile pressure on Russia," he said, adding that it was absolutely clear that the European Union condemned Russian aggression. 

Michel does not expect the summit to solve all the "major" global problems but added that the EU wants the group to accelerate efforts on sustainable development, climate change and poverty reduction. 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at a meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, is expected to insist that India should hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine and use its influence to help end the war.

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