JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who will hold the G20 presidency this year, said Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to attend next week’s summit, according to the Financial newspaper This was revealed to The Times (FT).
He said he had a “strong impression” from his conversation with Putin last week that he would not be attending.
Tensions over Russia’s attack on Ukraine are expected to remain at the meeting in Bali.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry and the president’s office did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Indonesia has resisted pressure from Western countries and Ukraine to kick Russia out of the G20 without inviting it to the summit, saying it does not have the authority to do so without the agreement of all members.
In an interview with the FT, Joko emphasized that Russia remains welcome to the meeting and expressed concern that the “very worrying” rise in international tensions overshadowed the meeting. “The G20 should be a place of economics and development, not a political one,” he said.
Indonesia has also invited the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, but Mr Zelensky has said he will not attend if Putin wishes.
