The US strategy against Russia has included an important diplomatic component for the past two months, in addition to economic sanctions and military support to Ukraine. The point is that Moscow is becoming rare on an international level. This explains Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s decision to boycott several multilateral meetings scheduled for this week in Washington as part of the G20 group. By refusing any return to normalcy ahead of the Indonesia summit scheduled for mid-November, the Biden administration wants to hold the states involved accountable. But neither China nor India follow her in her desire to make Russia a pariah. And the Indonesian presidency has clearly refused to exclude Moscow from the meetings.
The decision of M.me Yellen therefore seems essentially symbolic. The US official took part in the opening session on Wednesday, April 20, in the presence of her Ukrainian counterpart Serhii Marchenko, an exceptional guest. When Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Silouanov was to intervene via video link, Janet Yellen got up and left the room, accompanied, among others, by Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and European Central Bank President Christine. Lagarde. From a distance, other central bank ministers and presidents turn off their cameras. Once again, Americans and Europeans wanted to form a united front against Russia. Mr. Silouanov is on the US sanctions list, as a member of his country’s Security Council.
Asked on March 23 about Russia’s possible exclusion from the G20, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan had suggested coordination with US allies. He added that there could be no † business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community”. The next day, President Joe Biden stated in Brussels that if Russia is excluded from the G20, “couldn’t be done” because of the opposition of some states, Ukraine should be able to participate in the meetings.
Difficult consensus
Unlike the G7 format, which brings together countries close to the United States and is more coherent, the G20 represents a more diverse and less politically unified forum, where Washington cannot easily impose its positions, with its European allies. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the latter had been sidelined from the G8, which became G7, but not from the G20, which was much more divided on the issue. Despite the seriousness and scale of the war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, the many diplomatic exchanges that have taken place between the capitals in recent weeks have not led to a consensus.
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