Indonesian leader invites Russian and Ukrainian leaders to G20 summit in Bali

By AFP
01 May 2022
Indonesian leader invites Russian and Ukrainian leaders to G20 summit in Bali
Indonesian President Joko Widodo makes a statement on Friday at the presidential palace in Bogor, where he invited the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine to the G20 summit on Bali later this year. Photo: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to the G20 summit in November, which will also be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the president of host nation Indonesia said Friday.

"I have invited President Zelenskyy to attend the G20 summit," said Joko Widodo, suggesting a compromise had been reached following Western pressure to bar Russia from the event in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Putin confirmed in a phone call with Widodo he will attend the summit, to take place on Bali island, theIndonesian leader said in a livestreamed address.

Russia is a G20 member, while Ukraine is not.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Indonesia has faced fierce pressure from Western countries, led by the United States, to bar Russia from the summit.

But Jakarta had insisted that, as the host, it must remain impartial, while US President Joe Biden had suggested Ukraine could take part.

Zelensky had announced in a tweet that he was invited to the summit by Indonesia on Wednesday, following a call with Widodo.

AFP