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G20 has stood up for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the omission of a reference to Russian aggression against Ukraine in the G20 Leaders' Declaration.
New Delhi: Facing questions about why Washington agreed to drop a specific reference to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Declaration, US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken has said that G20 leaders have stood for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; the language in the text is “very strong”; and that every member in the room, barring Russia, wanted a “just and durable peace” to end Russian aggression.
Separately, addressing a press conference in Hanoi, President Joe Biden was asked whether the absence of a reference to Russian aggression showed Ukraine was a “wedge issue” with the global south. Biden said, “It is not a wedge issue with the global south. It is a wedge issue with Russia which was present, with China which was present and had representation.”
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In two separate interviews to American news networks, ABC News and CNN, Blinken strongly defended the declaration and that consequences of Russian aggression were being felt deeply across the global south and developing world.
Asked why the US couldn’t get countries to agree to mentioning Russian aggression, Blinken said, “The leaders stood up very clearly, including in the statement, for Ukraine’s sovereignty, for its territorial integrity. I think the statement is a very strong one. And what I heard in the room as well makes very clear that virtually every member of the G20 – perhaps minus one – is intent on making sure that there is a just and durable end to this Russian aggression. And leader after leader in the room made clear that, for the rest of the world too, the consequences of what Russia has done are having a terrible, terrible impact.”
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Blinken said that there was food insecurity around the world, with Ukraine “having been the breadbasket of the world for many years”, and that Russia had blockaded its ports after the invasion. Referring to the Black Sea Grain Initiative — the declaration has called for its full implementation — Blinken said that the deal was negotiated to get grain out but Russia had torn it up, at a time when 30 million tons of grain were getting out of Ukraine, mostly to the developing countries including the ones at G20.
“It was very clear in the room, going around the table, that countries are feeling the consequences and want the Russian aggression to stop,” Blinken said.
In response to a question from CNN on the “weaker language” in the text compared to Bali, Blinken reiterated that G20 countries in the statement had all stood up for the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“I was in the room when all the leaders spoke with President Biden, and it was very clear from everything that they said that not only do they want to see this war end, but they want to see it end on just and durable terms, and it was also very clear that the consequences of Russia’s aggression are being felt throughout the G20 countries and throughout the developing world.”
Asked if he was disappointed that G20 couldn’t agree on stronger language, Blinken said that it was very important that G20 “spoke as one”.
“I mean, to some extent, maybe it’s the G19 because obviously Russia is also here – it’s part of the G20 – but the fact that we have a statement coming out collectively affirming the importance of Ukraine, its territorial integrity and sovereignty, that speaks loudly. But what really speaks loudly, again, are the leaders in the room itself. And I think if you were on the receiving end of what so many of them said, if you were in the Russian seat, it’s pretty clear where the rest of the world stands.”
