The conflict in Ukraine should be at the heart of the discussions: Retno Marsudi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, host country of the G20 this year, called on Friday July 8 for an end to the war in Ukraine in the presence of his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
On the ground, in the Donbass mining basin where the Ukrainian army has fiercely slowed down the Russian push in recent weeks, the time was not for negotiations on Thursday, but for the bombing of cities still in Ukrainian hands. On the same day, President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia had «not yet started serious things» in Ukraine, while affirming that Moscow remained open to talks with kyiv.
Indonesia, the host country of the G20 this year, called for an end to the war in Ukraine, Friday in Bali, at the opening of a meeting of the heads of diplomacy of the group which should give rise to tense exchanges. «It is our responsibility to end the war as soon as possible and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield,» Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in the presence of her Russian counterpart. Sergei Lavrov.
The effect of war «is being felt around the world, on food, energy and budgets», she stressed. «And as always, poor and developing countries are the most affected.» The United States, supported by some of its Western allies, had called for Russia to be excluded from international forums.
The hot water in the shower, the temperature in the offices and why not the lighting of the traffic lights: Germany fears the shortage of gas and the country, from municipalities to large companies, is preparing for all restrictions. The government is on the alert as a crucial deadline approaches: the total shutdown, from Monday, of the Nord Stream gas pipeline due to routine maintenance.
The pause should last ten days, but Germany fears that Russia will stop deliveries for good via this pipeline which provides an essential part of its supply. «No scenario can be ruled out,» warned Economy Minister Robert Habeck, according to which Moscow is using the «weapon of gas» against Europe to try to undermine support for Ukraine. Faced with alarmist messages, the industrial sector, communities and administrations are looking for all the means to reduce their energy consumption.
«Let them try!» Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday challenged the West to defeat Russia «on the battlefield» in Ukraine, where, he said, Moscow has «not yet started the serious business». «Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can I say? Let them try!» the Kremlin leader said during a meeting with the leaders of the lower house of the Kremlin groups. Parliament, broadcast on television.
«We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people. But it seems that everything is heading in this direction,» he continued. These martial declarations come as the United States and European countries have in recent weeks accelerated arms deliveries to the kyiv army, which is trying to curb the advance of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
Russia controls 22% of Ukraine’s farmland and war threatens harvests expected this summer, which could further worsen the global food crisis, NASA researchers believe. «The breadbasket of the world is at war» and «we are in the early stages of a food crisis that is likely to affect every country and every person in the world in some way,» says Inbal Becker-Reshef, Program Director on the harvests of the American space agency.
According to satellite images taken on June 13 by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 mission and analyzed by the Programme, 22% of Ukraine’s agricultural land is under Russian control in the east and south of country.