G20 Grandees Skip Group Portrait, Rather Than Include Russ Foreign Minister

Most — but not all — are ready for resolution calling for unconditional withdrawal of Russia from Ukraine.

Willy Kurniawan/pool via AP
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia and his wife Iriana during the G20 summit at Bali, Indonesia, on November 15, 2022. Willy Kurniawan/pool via AP

At the opening in Bali of the annual meeting of leaders of the world’s 20 most developed and emerging economies, known as the G20, the focal point was not money but Ukraine.

With President Biden leading the demarche, Washington and friends in London and elsewhere marshaled forces Tuesday for a startling rhetorical assault on the Russians for their invasion of the war-torn country.

Most — but by no means all — the G20 leaders were ready to adopt a resolution condemning the invasion ordered by President Putin and demanding “complete and unconditional withdrawal” of Russian troops. Mr. Putin himself preferred to stay home.

That left the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, to complain that the resolution, which the G20 is expected to adopt at the end of the conference, was simply an attempt to “politicize” a gathering intended to discuss economic and financial issues.

Mr. Lavrov’s presence cast a pall over at least one usual feature of the annual gathering. There would be no group photo of the leaders, garbed in the traditional dress of the host country, in this case Indonesia. How could they have a photo that would leave him out just because he’s not a national leader?

As it was, the Russian foreign minister was left to wage a virtual one-man war against efforts to drum up sympathy for Ukraine, including a 20-minute speech by President Zelensky, talking via video link from Kyiv, urging his audience to “implement the formula for peace.”

The war, he insisted, “must and can be stopped.” Mr. Lavrov, attacking Mr. Zelensky’s remarks as “Russo-phobic” and “hostile,” complained he  spoke far longer than the average three minutes allotted to most participants.

Russia had the qualified sympathy of President Xi of Communist China. He was not about to sign on to any resolution against Russia but was measured in his remarks about the war. Rather than take sides, he said simply, “All countries should replace division with unity” — and “resolutely oppose the attempt to politicize food and energy issues or use them as tools and weapons.”

Mr. Biden had the unqualified support of the leader of America’s single most important ally, the United Kingdom. Britain’s new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, writing in the Wall Street Journal, urged his colleagues at Bali to “get on with the job that the G20 was created to do, in stewarding the global economy through the turbulence this act of aggression set off.”

In practical terms, the war in Ukraine, Europe’s biggest grain grower, does have economic implications that are the real purpose of the G20. Russia’s agreement to open up channels for Ukraine to export grain needed for a world plagued by hunger comes up for renewal in several days.  G20 leaders are also concerned by the high price of Russian oil and natural gas exports, from which Moscow earns funds badly needed to prosecute the war.

The high price of oil and gas has also produced a rift between America and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Biden was not expected to sit down with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, accused of aiding and abetting the Russian cause by refusing to lower oil prices.

President Joko Widodo, in the role of genial host, was seen driving a golf cart transporting the Saudi prince and other world leaders through a leafy grove on the vacation island.

Mr. Widodo hewed to a carefully drawn line on Ukraine, making one comment with which all would agree:  “If the war does not end, it will be difficult for the world to move forward.”


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