Indonesia urged the G20 on Friday to help end the war in Ukraine, as foreign ministers from the group met for a summit that has put some of the staunchest critics of Russia's invasion in the same room as Moscow's top diplomat.

The buildup to the gathering on the Indonesian island of Bali has been dominated by the war and its impact on the global economy, with top officials from Western countries and Japan stressing it would not be "business as usual" at the forum.

Shouts of "When will you stop the war" and "Why don't you stop the war" were heard as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shook hands with his Indonesian counterpart Retno LP Marsudi at the start of the meeting. 

Underlining tensions in the buildup, Retno said earlier G7 counterparts had informed her they could not join Thursday's welcome dinner where Lavrov was present.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not at the battlefield," she said on Friday at the opening of talks, quoted by Reuters.

Invoking Indonesia's religious diversity as a example of how divergent beliefs can co-exist harmoniously, Retno urged the G20 to "find a way forward" to address the challenges rippling across the globe. She said the repercussions of the war, including rising energy and food prices, would hit low-income countries the hardest.

A senior official for the Indonesian foreign ministry told Reuters no communique was expected from Friday's meeting.

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