Biden takes part in G20 summit and absence of Russian and Chinese counterparts

United States President Joe Biden is heading to India to participate in the G20 summit over the weekend, aiming to strengthen Washington's alliances within the sharply divided coalition as China and Russia's leaders are absent.

Disagreements over the Russian war in Ukraine, gradual fossil fuel phase-out, and debt restructuring are expected to dominate the talks, with little likelihood of reaching any agreements during the two-day meeting in New Delhi.

Biden will discuss a "collective effort to address global issues," including climate change and "mitigating the economic and social consequences of the Russian war in Ukraine," according to U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan ahead of the summit.

The second-largest economic power in the world, China, will be absent from the meeting amid escalating trade and geopolitical tensions with the United States. India, which shares long-disputed borders with China, hosts the summit.

China is also displeased with India's membership in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an alliance consisting of Australia, Japan, the United States, and India, seen as an attempt to contain its influence in Asia.

China has not provided any explanation for President Xi Jinping's absence from the summit, merely confirming that Prime Minister Li Keqiang will join leaders from major global economies, which contribute to about 85% of the world's GDP and greenhouse gas emissions.

The ongoing war in Ukraine will also cast a shadow over the event, as Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov representing him.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putin's arrest on charges of committing a war crime related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, allegations the Kremlin insists are "baseless."

German government spokesperson Wolfgang Buechner said, "As long as Russia does not put an end to this war, matters cannot return to normal."

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told India's NDTV network that the global crises facing the bloc are "much more difficult, much more complicated, and much more worrying than they were a long time ago."

India, which recently celebrated its establishment as a space power by sending a mission to the moon in August, frames its hosting of the G20 summit as a historic moment in its transformation into a global player.



AFP