War in Ukraine: Invitation to Zelensky and Putin for G20 Summit

Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced today that he has invited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and confirmed that he had also invited the Russian president Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit scheduled for November in Indonesia.

“I have invited President Zelensky to attend the G20 summit,” the Indonesian president said, implying that a compromise had been reached.

The Russian president has confirmed that he will attend the summit that is scheduled to be held in Bali in November, the Indonesian president also clarified in his videotaped statements.

Indonesia, which holds the presidency this year G20came under strong pressure from the West, led by the US, to exclude Russia from the group after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, Jakarta resisted, arguing that its position obliges it to remain “impartial” and that US President Joe Biden, in particular, had suggested Ukraine join in to find a balance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Twitter message on Wednesday that he had been invited by Indonesia to the G20 summit, following a telephone conversation he had with his Indonesian counterpart.

Joko Widodo also had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday, Thursday. “On this occasion, President Putin thanked Indonesia for the invitation to the G20 summit and stated that he would attend,” the Indonesian president was quoted as saying by AFP and the Athens-based News Agency.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Westerners have sought to isolate Russia in the international diplomatic arena.

A meeting of G20 finance ministers in Washington in April showed deep divisions within the group of major world economies by boycotting some meetings by the United States and its allies in protest of Russian involvement.

Source: News Beast

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