Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stressed to the leaders of the world's wealthiest countries on Tuesday that now is the time to stop Russia's war Ukraine under his proposed peace plan.
Zelenskiy appeared via videolink at the G20 summit, on the Indonesian island of Bali, overshadowed by the war in Ukraine and concerns over global inflation, food, and energy security.
He said the war should end "justly and on the basis of the UN Charter and international law," calling for "radiation safety" around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, introducing price restrictions on Russia's energy resources, and expanding the grain export initiative.
"Please choose your path for leadership – and together, we will surely implement the peace formula," he said.
The summit kicked off earlier in the day with a plea from Indonesian President Joko Widodo for unity and hard work to reform the global economy despite profound differences over the war.
Widodo said: "We have no other option; collaboration is needed to save the world," he said.
"G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery. We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another cold war."
The G-20, which includes Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, and Germany, accounts for more than 80 percent of the global gross domestic product, 75 percent of international trade, and 60 percent of the world's population.
A positive sign on the eve of the summit was the three-hour bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. They pledged more frequent communication despite the many differences between them.
The meeting was the first the two leaders had in person since Biden became president. It indicated an improvement in relations between the two superpowers after a steady deterioration in recent months.
The G20 summit is being held for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, which Moscow described as a "special military operation."
The war prompted some Western leaders to call for a boycott of the summit and the withdrawal of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation. Still, Indonesia has resisted and refused to do so.
Indonesia also rejected what sources said was pressure from G7 nations to denounce Russia at the summit this week.
Russia has said Putin was too busy to attend, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is taking his place. Lavrov dismissed a news agency report on Monday that he had been taken to a hospital in Bali with a heart condition and was present at the meeting.
However, it was not clear whether he remained in the hall during Zelenskiy's speech.
- Joint statement
Diplomatic sources said that meetings have failed to produce a joint statement, which requires the approval of all parties.
Indonesia was pressing instead for a declaration of leaders; however, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said there was an agreement among officials on a text communique on Monday evening, which he described as "positive."
According to an initial draft seen by Reuters, G20 will denounce the use or threat of nuclear weapons. However, such a statement would need to be ratified by the leaders.
G20 ministers' gatherings have failed to produce joint declarations due to disagreement between Russia and other members on language, including how to describe the war in Ukraine.
"I won't get ahead of the final negotiations, but the G20 will make clear that Russia's war is wreaking havoc for people everywhere and the global economy as a whole," said the official, who spoke about the US view on the summit on condition of anonymity.
However, Xi and Putin had grown increasingly close recently and reaffirmed their partnership just days before Russia invaded Ukraine. Nevertheless, China has been careful not to provide any direct material support that could trigger Western sanctions against it.
Chinese state media reported that Xi told French president Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting on Tuesday that China supports a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace talks.
On Monday, the White House said that Biden and Xi "underscored their opposition to the use or threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine" during their meeting.
The Chinese foreign minister said in a statement that Xi told Biden nuclear weapons cannot be used, and nuclear wars cannot be fought.
The West accused Russia of making irresponsible statements on the possible use of nuclear weapons since its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has, in turn, accused the West of "provocative" nuclear rhetoric.
On the sidelines of the summit, bilateral talks are being held between many leaders, with several leaders meeting with the Chinese President, who is making his second foreign trip since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as China seeks to reduce tension with the United States and its allies.
