India's strong leadership is key to reaching a G20 summit agreement states EU official
"Without India's leadership it would not have been possible," he added, referring to the summit declaration.
According to a senior European Union official, India's strong leadership allowed G20 leaders to come to an agreement after lengthy deliberations on a summit message urging countries to refrain from using force in territorial disputes.
The group had been unable to come to an agreement on how to address the war in Ukraine for weeks before the conference in New Delhi. The West wanted Moscow to be condemned for its invasion, while Russia pledged to veto any resolution that did not support its position.
"(The) Indian presidency has been very strong and after intense negotiations, the unanimous outcome was quite productive," said the official, who was aware of the G20 talks, but sought anonymity.
"Without India's leadership it would not have been possible," he added, referring to the summit declaration.
The declaration the Group of 20 approved to kick off the two-day summit on Saturday avoided criticizing Russia for the conflict in Ukraine but encouraged other nations to refrain from using force to seize territory.
The Black Sea project should be put into effect, according to the leaders of the bloc, to ensure a secure flow of grain, food, and fertilizer from Russia and Ukraine.
However, the EU official claimed that Russia—which now finds itself much more isolated as a result of the summit—had not uttered a word about the Black Sea grain agreement.
The official stated, "Russia should have participated, with President Putin sitting down at the table and listening to the criticism from European and global leaders," adding, "But he has chosen not to come and participate."
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