Putin skips the G20 | Business and Economics News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Putin at the main meeting of the leading economies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the G-20 summit of world leaders in Bali next week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead the Russian delegation to the summit, the first gathering of leaders of the world’s largest economies since Putin launched his war in Ukraine.

Moscow’s embassy in Indonesia told AFP that Putin’s program was “still in the works” and the Russian leader could almost take part in the summit.

An Indonesian government official earlier told Reuters news agency that Lavrov would represent Putin and that the Russian president would join one of the summit meetings virtually.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo told the Financial Times earlier this week that he had a “strong impression” that the Russian leader would skip the rally.

The G20 summit, which brings together leaders of 19 countries and the European Union, is expected to be dominated by the fallout from the Ukraine war, which has fueled global food and fuel shortages.

Indonesia, the summit host, has rejected calls from Western countries and Ukraine to exclude Russia, vowing to maintain neutrality and highlight the potential for cooperation in food and energy security.

Widodo lamented the geopolitical tensions surrounding the summit, which he said is meant to focus on economic development and “is not meant to be a political forum”.

At the United Nations General Assembly last month, 16 G-20 members backed a resolution condemning Moscow’s attempt to annex four regions in eastern Ukraine. G20 members China, India and South Africa abstained, while the European Union abstained in the United Nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was also invited to the summit, had previously said he would not attend if Putin joined the meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden are among world leaders expected to travel to the gathering.