US blames Russia, China for expanding ‘obstructionism' in G20

DIFFICULT DIPLOMACY

- Prashant Jha

WASHINGTON: The G20 has become an "increasingly contested space", with Russia and China not merely "blocking progress on language around Ukraine" but extending their "obstructionism" to broader issues in the joint statement, a senior United States (US) administration official has said.

For its part, the US, the official said, is "very focused and supportive" of India's efforts towards a common statement and expects that the final outcome will boil down to the last minute negotiations in Delhi during the summit.

Asked about the challenge that India is confronting in its quest to issue a joint communique at the end of the G20 summit because of differences between the West and Russia and China on Ukraine, and what the US was doing to help, the official said that the US has urged everyone to move towards a joint communique.

"We are troubled by the fact that not only have Russia and China and this is probably to be expected sought to block progress on language associated with Ukraine, but they are basically extending that obstructionism to broader issues in the larger statement." Adding that the "opposition and intractability" from Moscow and Beijing has been real, the official indicated that as is often the case with such summits, negotiations will go down to the last minute in New Delhi.

"I think the larger question that we just don't know is whether President Xi is actually coming to Delhi and I don't have an answer. It's certainly been rumoured and discussed, but we do not know ultimate plans," he added. Xi's participation in the summit is not yet confirmed. Putin has already said he will not attend.