JakartaGlobe-Nov 15, 2022
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Tuesday urged G20 leaders to “end the war” as he opened a summit dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Washington and allies heaping pressure on Moscow. “Being responsible means creating not zero-sum situations, being responsible here also means that we must end the war,” Jokowi said. The United States and its allies are looking to pin painfully high global food and fuel prices squarely at President Vladimir Putin’s door during the gathering. Eyeing a joint G20 declaration that would condemn the eight-month-old invasion and threats to use nuclear weapons, US and European officials have painted the summit as evidence of Russia’s deepening isolation. “I think you’re going to see most members of the G20 make clear that they condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine,” a senior US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Russia’s war of aggression is being condemned in the strongest possible terms,” the official said, adding that many “see Russia’s war in Ukraine as the root source of immense economic and humanitarian suffering in the world.” It remained far from clear that Russia’s G20 allies China, India and South Africa would sign up to language that would condemn Putin’s war so explicitly. Such a condemnation at the G20 would be a heavy diplomatic defeat for Moscow, which has been keen to paint opposition to the conflict as Western-dominated. There was a hint at growing Chinese unease with Russia’s prosecution of the war though when presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden met late Monday. Both men voiced opposition to the “use or threat of use” of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the White House said. European Council president Charles Michel signaled that while a draft agreement had been agreed to in principle, there was still work to be done. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2022/11/15/end-the-war-jokowi-urges-at-g20-opening.html.
