Host “makes it out”
Putin not allowed to attend G20 summit in person

07/05/2022, 10:21 am (Updated)

Russian President Putin has agreed to attend the G20 summit in November. According to Italian Prime Minister Draghi, host Indonesia “categorically” ruled out the possibility that he would be present in person. Meanwhile Chancellor Scholz announced that he would be participating in the round with his G7 colleagues.

According to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Indonesia in person for the G20 summit in the fall. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, as host of the G20 meeting, said that apparently, Draghi reported after the G7 summit in Bavaria, which Widodo attended as a guest several times. “Widodo makes it out and there it was clear. He (Putin) won’t come.” It is not clear whether the Kremlin chief wants to attend the G20 summit via video link. “We’ll see what happens,” Draghi said.

According to Russian news agency Interfax, Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said: “Well, it’s definitely not draggy. The invitation came and we responded positively.” On Monday, Ushakov said Putin wanted to attend the summit on the Indonesian island of Bali in mid-November – but left it open in what format. Indonesia’s President Widodo confirmed Putin’s participation in late April. So until recently it was unclear how Western countries would react to it.

In any case, Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke in favor of the major economic powers sticking to the G20 round format, although Putin is also a member of the round. At the end of the three-day G7 summit, the Chancellor said, “As far as the G20 is concerned, there was great agreement in all the negotiations that we do not want to isolate the G20.” So, to this day, the decision of the states gathered at Elmau was “to go there,” Scholz explained.

The SPD politician insisted that it was about good discussions. Interactions with invited partners to the G7 summit such as India, Indonesia, Argentina, Senegal and South Africa were also very important. The chancellor said Indonesia currently presides over the G20, followed by India next year – “two great, important friends and nations with whom we work closely.” “That’s why it’s important for us to give it a good drive,” he said. “And then we’ll take care of it.”

The G20 is a grouping of major economic powers, which, in addition to the G7 states, also include authoritarian countries such as Russia, China and Saudi Arabia. The meeting is to be held in Bali on November 16 and 17.

(This article was first published on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.)