Geopolitical issues should not derail G20 discussions, says Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

"Geopolitical issues" should not derail G20 discussions, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Sunday as his country assumed the bloc's presidency, in an implicit reference to diplomatic wrangling over the Ukraine war.

"We cannot let geopolitical issues sequester the G20 agenda of discussions," Lula said at the close of the bloc's annual summit in New Delhi.

READ | G20 Summit: India, US, Brazil in global biofuel push

“We have no interest in a divided G20. We need peace and cooperation instead of conflict.”

G20 leaders have been deeply riven over the Ukraine war since Moscow's invasion last year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin skipping the summit entirely to dodge political opprobrium.

Facing the prospect of a major diplomatic embarrassment, host India pressed members to agree a common statement that watered down its earlier condemnation of the war.

READ | Putin will not be arrested if he attends G20 Summit in Rio: Brazil President

In the end, the G20 denounced the use of force for territorial gain but refrained from direct criticism of Russia by name.

Amitabh Kant, a key organiser for the India summit, said Saturday that Brazil was among the countries that helped thrash out a compromise on Ukraine for the statement.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.