India doesn’t want the G20 to discuss additional sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. According to Reuters, six Indian officials said this when discussing the agenda of the Group of Twenty meeting to be held on February 23 in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Japanese Minister of Finance Shunichi Suzuki spoke on Tuesday about the plans of financial leaders of the G7 to discuss measures to be taken against Russia on February 23.
"India is not keen to discuss or back any additional sanctions on Russia during the G20. The existing sanctions on Russia have had a negative impact on the world," said one of the Indian officials at a G20 meeting of finance ministers and heads of central banks.
Another one said sanctions were not a G20 issue at all since "the G20 is an economic forum for discussing growth issues."
On February 22, on the first day of meetings to draft the G20 communique, the forum debated about the proper word to describe the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India proposed the terms "crisis" or "challenge" instead of "war", but the discussions concluded without a decision.
On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will join the meetings.
The United States and its allies are planning to impose new sanctions and export controls in the coming days that would target Russia's purchase of dual-use goods like refrigerators and microwaves to secure semiconductors needed for its military.
The sanctions would also halt the trans-shipment of oil and other restricted goods through bordering countries.
Context. This year, India holds the Presidency of the G20.
The Indian government has never criticized Russian aggression. On the contrary, India increased its purchase of oil from Russia, its largest supplier of military equipment.
Earlier, the Indian management of ArcelorMittal also called the war in Ukraine "increasing geopolitical tensions," despite production losses at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih and the deaths of 69 of its employees.
Read also
Ukraine's Recovery: How to Change Critically Low Citizen Engagement Indicators?
The future has already arrived: blockchain technologies in the global economy and everyday life
