U.S. President Joe Biden arrives for the G-20 leaders’ summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives for the G-20 leaders’ summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2022.

 

Leaders from the Group of 20 (G-20) of the world’s largest economies began talks Tuesday on the island of Bali, Indonesia, marred by divisions caused by the war in Ukraine.

 

Leaders are set to issue a statement in which “most” members will strongly condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine, said a senior U.S. administration official in a briefing to reporters Tuesday morning.

 

“I think you’re going to see most members of the G-20 make clear that they condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine, that they see Russia’s war in Ukraine as the root source of immense economic and humanitarian suffering in the world,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

The statement, scheduled to be released at the end of the summit later this week, is designed to show that the group is isolating Russia, a member of the G-20, the official noted. But it is unclear how many countries will be signing on.

 

While leaders primarily agree on the three pillars of G-20 priorities that Indonesia has pushed under its presidency — digital architecture, energy transition and digital transformation — the statement on Russia is the sticking point that makes a joint communique, or a declaration agreed by all parties at the end of the summit, appear unlikely.