Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, won’t be attending the G20 conference in Bali the following week.
The summit, the first meeting of the heads of the major economies since Putin began his war in Ukraine, will be presided over by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who will also serve as the delegation’s leader.
Putin’s agenda was “still being worked out,” according to the Russian embassy in Indonesia, and he may take part in the conference remotely.
An official from the Indonesian administration had earlier told the media that Lavrov would represent Putin and that the Russian leader would participate electronically in one of the summit’s discussions.
Earlier this week, Indonesian President Joko Widodo informed reporters that he had a “strong suspicion” the Russian leader wouldn’t attend the event.
The aftermath of the Ukraine war, which has exacerbated global food and fuel problems, is anticipated to take centre stage at the G20 summit, which brings together the leaders of 19 nations and the European Union.
Indonesia, which is hosting the summit, has rebuffed requests from the West and Ukraine to exclude Russia, pledging to uphold its neutrality and emphasising the possibilities for collaboration on food and energy security.
Widodo bemoaned the geopolitical tensions surrounding the meeting, which he claimed was “not meant to be a political forum” and was instead intended to focus on economic development.
In a vote denouncing Moscow’s alleged takeover of four districts of eastern Ukraine, the United Nations General Assembly last month saw the support of 16 G20 countries. The European Union was not represented at the UN body, which is comprised of G20 countries China, India, and South Africa.
The summit’s other invited guest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, already declared he would not go if Putin attended.
Several world leaders are anticipated to attend the meeting, including the presidents of China and the United States. Joe Biden is one of them.
