Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies arrived in New Delhi on Friday for their annual gathering as negotiators struggled to bridge differences over the war in Ukraine, as they seek to build a consensus for a successful summit.

Stray animals were removed from the streets of the Indian capital, as businesses, offices and schools were closed in the central business and government district as part of security measures to ensure the two-day summit runs smoothly.

The gathering is expected to engage in deeper and more entrenched divisions over the Russia Ukraine war, progress on issues such as food security, debt distress and cooperation on climate change.

It is also expected to be dominated by the West and its allies, as China's President Xi Jinping annouced he would skip the meeting and sending Premier Li Qiang instead, while Russia's Vladimir Putin would also be absent.

The summit is expected to be the most high-powered gathering ever in India with United States President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman, Japan's Fumio Kishida, and Nigeria's Bola Tinubu, among others, were confirmed to be participats.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who was in New Delhi ahead of Biden's arrival, said Washington was willing to work with India to help craft a communique at the end of the summit.

She said; "So I understand that this is challenging to craft such language, but I know the negotiators are discussing it, and working hard to do so and we stand ready certainly to work with India to try to craft communique that successfully addresses this concern," Yellen told reporters at a briefing."

Yellen added that if Russia ends its war in Ukraine, it would help to support global economic growth.