The finance ministers of the G20 countries strongly condemned Moscow for the war it has launched against Ukraine. Only the China and Russia refused to sign the joint communiqué.

India, which chairs the G20, has been reluctant to mention the war in Ukraine, but Western countries have threatened not to sign a text that does not include its condemnation Russian invasion.

The lack of full consensus among the G20 members resulted in India issuing as chair a summary of the outcome of the two-day Finance Ministers’ meeting talks and the disagreements expressed.

“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it is causing enormous human suffering and exacerbating existing problems in the global economy,” said the text, which mentions the disruption of supply chains, risks to financial stability and the maintenance of energy and food insecurity.

“There were other views and different assessments of the situation and the sanctions,” the text says.

The outcome of the meeting was similar to that in Bali last November when Indonesia had issued a final declaration admitting the difference of opinion.

The minister United States Treasury Janet Yellen previously told Reuters it was “absolutely necessary” for the final communique to condemn Russia.

Russia and China did not want “her platform G-20 to be used to discuss political issues,” according to sources at the meeting.

India maintained a neutral stance, avoiding blaming Russia for the invasion, in return for securing its supply of Russian oil.

India and China are among the countries that abstained in Thursday’s UN vote, when an overwhelming majority of countries called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and end the war.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said it was regrettable that China blocked the final communique of the G20 finance ministers’ meeting condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“But for me it is more important that everyone else shared a clear position on international law, multilateralism and ending war,” he added.

Christian Lindner also said he was cautiously optimistic about the prospect of progress within the year on restructuring the debt of over-indebted countries.

It is noted that China is one of the biggest creditors of the poor countries of Africa and Asia.

“There was a cautious message from China” on the issue, the German finance minister said.