Putin, Zelensky accept Indonesia’s invites to attend G20 summit

Agencies | Moscow  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have accepted invitations from Indonesia, the current chair of the Group of 20, for a big ticket summit in November.

The decision to invite both leaders shows the delicate balance the Southeast Asian country is trying to make as the G-20 host this year. Russia is a member of the G-20, and the countries in the grouping have been divided over their reaction to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. 

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have an impact on the recovery of the global economy and it was in this context that he invited Putin and Zelenskiy to the summit in separate calls with them over the week.

“I expressed my hope that the war can end soon and a peaceful solution through talks can progress,” he said in a speech. “We understand that G-20 can be a catalyst for global economic recovery.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether Putin would attend in person. While Russia is preparing for the summit in Bali, it’s “premature” to discuss details of its participation, he told reporters on a conference call Friday, responding to questions about the possibility of a meeting with Zelenskiy there.