President of Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin He will not attend the G20 leaders’ meeting next week in person, but may in fact join, officials from Russia Indonesia, the host nation, said Thursday.
Indonesia resisted pressure from Western countries to withdraw its invitation to Putin and kick Russia out of the group due to the war in the country. Ukrainesays he does not have the power to do so without the consent of the members.
Russian state news agency RIA, quoting a diplomat from the Russian Embassy in Indonesia, reported that Putin may participate via video conference although “the form of participation is being worked out”.
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Officials say Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Putin on the ground at the meeting on the island of Bali.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo tried to mediate between world powers ahead of the group’s first meeting of leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in what Putin called a “special military operation”.
“He (the president) is trying to calm everyone down and it seems that is what is happening now,” Luhut Panjitan, the coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, told reporters in Bali.
The president told the Financial Times this week that Russia was welcome at the summit, which he feared would be overshadowed by a “deeply worrying” escalation in international tensions.
The G-20 is not meant to be a political forum. It should be about economy and development.
Indonesia also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he would not attend if Putin did and that he should indeed join.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to join other world leaders at the summit, which begins on November 15.
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