There will be several large, and delicate, elephants in the room in New Delhi today as Group of 20 foreign ministers kick off their meeting. Unlike the Group of Seven developed nations, which are tightly bound in their stance against Russia over its war in Ukraine, the broader G-20 showcases all sorts of complications and awkwardness. For starters the G-20 still includes ... Russia. Key reading: But beyond that, the conflict in Ukraine has highlighted divides between advanced Western economies and nations that tend to get collectively lumped into the "Global South." Countries including China and G-20 host India are clearly uncomfortable with big sanctions regimes in general, and they have continued to trade and do business with Russia. Nations in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are also uneasy about the hardening global lines and the potential impact on their economies and debt, as well as food and energy supplies. Still, the way the US and its allies have approached China and India has been sharply divergent. While China has been repeatedly called out — to the point that criticism might prove self-fulfilling in prompting Xi Jinping to throw his lot in even more with his "best friend" Russian President Vladimir Putin — India has escaped overt blame. That's because India is seen as a useful partner in the increasingly complex global security landscape, especially in countering China's own rising clout. India and China each seem to want to have it both ways. China has not specifically endorsed Putin for his war. But neither does it want to align with a US-backed agenda against him (notably, it's hosting a key Russian ally in Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko this week). India similarly. The prospect that a consensus can be reached already faces headwinds: A meeting of G-20 finance ministers last weekend failed to produce a communique over an impasse on how to describe Russia's assault on Ukraine. All those elements will be on display in New Delhi as a potential portent of what G-20 leaders may face when they sit down together come September. — Rosalind Mathieson |
No comments:
Post a Comment