Ukraine’s top envoy in Jakarta on Wednesday said it was crucial for Russia’s invasion of his country to be part of discussions among the G20 nations , and that the economic effects of the conflict had global implications, as Indonesia convenes the grouping’s meetings this year. Ambassador Vasyl Hamianin, speaking in a webinar organised by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, said the war’s ramifications were wide-ranging as they involved the breakdown of logistical links and threats to global food security. His remarks came a day after China , a G20 member, said the grouping was “not the appropriate forum” to discuss the conflict, echoing a position held by Indonesia . Singapore urges China to use ‘enormous influence’ on Russia to end war “The reality tells us that not a single question on the agenda of the G20 summit will be possible to discuss, without understanding that we are facing the economic crisis due to [Western-imposed] sanctions [on Russia]; due to the breaking of logistic links, now globally; and due to the fact that if Ukraine fails to gather enough crops, it might be a threat to the world’s food security next year,” Hamianin said. “So how can you discuss global economic issues without making sure this conflict [ends]? I’m thinking that it is possible for any member of G20 to raise the issue and to put it on the agenda at the next summit.” Ukraine is Indonesia’s second-biggest wheat and meslin flour provider, behind Australia. From January to November 2021, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy imported 2.76 million tonnes of both commodities from Ukraine, worth US$821 million, according to data from the Indonesian statistics agency. Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 in 2022, and will host the grouping’s leaders in a summit in October on the resort island of Bali. The country’s officials have repeatedly said that because the G20 is an economic and development forum, discussions about Russia’s war in Ukraine would not suit the agenda. China has made clear its views on the matter, with its foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying on Tuesday the G20 was “the main forum for international economic cooperation, and not the appropriate venue for discussion of Ukraine”. Beijing’s readout on a phone call on Wednesday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo meanwhile said the Chinese leader backed Jakarta’s plans for the G20 summit and its focus on global economic recovery. A report by state broadcaster CCTV said the two leader exchanged views on Ukraine and agreed that countries should limit the fallout of sanctions. “Both sides … agreed that all parties should stand firm on peace and encourage talks, prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, control the negative impact of sanctions on the world economy and avoid dragging down global economic recovery,” the report said. In his remarks on Wednesday, Ukraine’s Hamianin said China’s position was “not correct”. “The issue is a full-scale war against a neighbouring country. I’m very much disappointed with the position of the Chinese government,” the ambassador said. “I think China can do everything possible to stop this war in days. As the closest partner of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin , China can give him a piece of advice and this would be a really strong voice.” ‘China would have tried to stop Ukraine war if it knew’: Beijing’s envoy to US Hamianin also offered his views on Indonesia’s position on the war, saying Jakarta needed to “stand up and speak out” against the aggression. While he did not directly criticise Indonesia, he appeared to reference the country’s decision not to directly name Russia as an aggressor in its initial statements on the crisis. Indonesia condemned the invasion but at the same time urged “all parties to cease hostilities and put forward peaceful resolutions through diplomacy”. Retno has described Russia’s military attack on Ukraine as “unacceptable” and said Indonesia urges all nations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries. But the foreign minister has also said that both Russia and Ukraine are “Indonesia’s good friends” and that Jakarta hopes to “forge a stronger friendship with both countries”. Said Hamianin: “If we don’t name the aggressor, we remain somewhere in the shadows, and the implications of [the condemnation] would not work here. We would expect something serious and something tangible [from Indonesia], such as providing Ukraine with whatever support we need such as medicines, blankets for civilians, or diesel generators.” Earlier this month, the Ukrainian embassy in Jakarta sent a letter to Indonesia’s foreign ministry, saying it hoped to hear “loud and brave” calls from Indonesians to support Ukrainians. Will China and India’s stance on Russia harm their standing in Asean? Along with October’s G20 leaders’ summit, Indonesia is also a convenor of year-long meetings among officials from the grouping. The G20, created in the late 1990s, includes the world’s economic powerhouses as well as emerging economies such as Indonesia, India, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey. Russia, which was booted out of the Group of Eight industrialised nations following its 2014 annexation of Crimea, remains a part of the G20.