G20 summit: is the final declaration a success?
"Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine", the G20 members stated in the final declaration of their summit in Bali. Russia's position was taken account of with the words: "There were other views and different assessments of the situation". Having feared that the summit would end without a joint final document, commentators are pleased with this outcome.
Things are getting tight for Putin
The G20 summit was a diplomatic disaster for Russia, Die Presse concludes:
“The final declaration stated in black and white that most members 'condemn' the war in Ukraine. ... There are ever more signs of Russia's growing international isolation. China will never support sanctions against its strategic partner. But it no longer makes a secret of the fact that it is fed up with this war. Xi Jinping may even have the feeling he is being hoodwinked by Putin. ... Things are getting tight for Putin. Even his allies are losing patience with him. He must find a way out of this war. All the more reason for the West to keep its nerve. ... It's possible that Putin will open up a negotiating window with Joe Biden.”
India will keep Russia in the G20
Kommersant pins its hopes on India as host the next meeting in 2023:
“Coincidentally, it is now up to India to save (or bury) the G20. Whereby it is perhaps the only country in the world that has fully implemented the principle of autonomy in its politics, having managed to maintain strategic partnerships with both the US and Russia - in keeping with its own old adage: 'He who neither wins nor loses wins.' ... All in all, with a Chairman Modi, the G20 probably won't be anti-Russian - because he will do everything he can to keep the G20 from slipping into a coma and to revive it.”
Good news from Indonesia
International cooperation still functions, L'Opinion comments with delight:
“Any questioning of multilateralism in favour of an approach based on national egoisms poses considerable dangers. ... From this perspective one can be pleased with the G20's long final declaration. 'Most' members 'strongly condemn the war in Ukraine', even if 'other views were expressed'. But the simple fact that all countries, including Russia, agreed to sign such a document shows that the fight for multilateralism is not lost. This is good news.”
A success for Scholz too
Scholz did the groundwork for the show of unity at the G20 summit, comments Handelsblatt:
“The chancellor took a lot of flak for being the first head of state to travel to China a week and a half ago, right after Xi Jinping's re-election. But with the Bali agreement, Scholz can take credit for Xi having criticised the threat to use nuclear weapons for the first time after the meeting - meaning that Scholz at least helped pave the way for the G20 agreement. ... Although the chancellor was long criticised for his hesitant stance on the issue of arms deliveries to Ukraine, now he can chalk up the G20 summit as a foreign policy success.”