G20 meeting ends without consensus on Ukraine; Russia and China object to description of war

A meeting of G-20 finance ministers has ended in India without a consensus, because Russia and China objected to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document.

A meeting of finance chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies ended on Saturday without a consensus, with Russia and China objecting to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document.

The meeting hosted by India issued the G20 Chair's summary and an outcome document stating that there was no agreement on the wording of the war in Ukraine. The first day of the meeting took place on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Group of Seven major industrial nations announced new sanctions against Russia on Friday, just as the talks of the G20 group wrapped up in confusion in the Indian technology hub of Bengaluru.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen condemned the "illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine" at a session attended by Russian officials and reiterated calls for G20 nations to do more to support Ukraine and hinder Moscow's war effort.

At the last major G20 meeting, in Bali, Indonesia, in November, leaders had strongly condemned the war, warning that the conflict was intensifying fragilities in the world's economy. The group includes Russia and also countries like China and India that have significant trade with Moscow.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that the communique prepared for the Bengaluru meeting carried two paragraphs from the Bali declaration, but Russia and China demanded they be deleted and said they could not be part of the final document this time.

Their contention was they had approved the Bali declaration under the then prevailing circumstances, she said. "Now they didn't want it," Sitharaman said. She didn't give any other details.