G20 Summit: EU supports India’s efforts for joint communiqué, backs Ukraine in war
ALSO READ: G20 Summit: EU expresses concern over draft joint communique on Ukraine issue “I don’t know if this is possible or not to have an agreement on a final communique, we will see. But we will defend our principles and will also support the efforts made by India," HT quoted Michel as saying when asked about the possibility of the Ukraine crisis holding up a leaders’ declaration.
He added that he didn’t want to make a “tough statement", and instead 'give space to the Indian presidency to work actively to maximize the chance for a communique'. He added, “We hope that it will be possible to have a communique and there is no secret about the position that the EU is defending around the table regarding the war launched by Russia against Ukraine." India has consistently called for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, stressing on return to dialogue and diplomacy.
However, it has not publicly criticized the actions of Russia, which is a key supplier of military hardware and energy. According to Michel, Russia is isolating itself from the international community, as it violated the UN Charter despite being a permanent member of the Security Council.
He even pointed to the fallout of the Russian invasion on developing countries in terms of food and energy security, citing examples of Moscow’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. “I sincerely hope this G20 meeting is one more occasion to make the clarity about Russian behavior...because by launching this war against Ukraine and by transforming the Black Sea into a battlefield Russia is shooting a food missile against the developing countries," Michel said.
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