Zelensky was invited to the G20 Meeting in Indonesia

Zelensky was invited to the G20 Meeting in Indonesia. 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attend this year’s Group of 20 meeting in Bali. 

Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin may possibly attend, he said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy and Widodo spoke and addressed food security challenges, which experts say will be aggravated by Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. 

He also expressed gratitude to his Indonesian counterpart for supporting Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” particularly in the United Nations.

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“Thank you for inviting me to the [G20] summit,” Zelenskyy expressed gratitude.

The G20 meeting, hosted by Indonesia, will bring together leaders from the world’s top economies in mid-November. 

Widodo invited Zelenskyy to the meeting, but he did not clarify whether he would accept. 

Nevertheless, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, the Biden administration appreciates the offer to Ukraine’s president.

Putin intends to attend the G20 conference, Russia’s ambassador in Jakarta, Lyudmila Vorobieva, told reporters last month. 

However, she noted that his attendance will “depend on many factors, including the COVID situation.”

However, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated earlier this month that a final decision on Putin’s attendance would be made later.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, “Indonesia is the presiding country and the organizer.” 

“Of course, we’ll be focused on the organizers first and foremost. However, the event’s outcome will determine whether or not I participate in the future.”

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, the United States and its Western allies have advocated for its expulsion from the G20. 

President Biden told reporters that he believes Russia should be kicked out of the forum during a March press conference. 

However, he noted that the decision would be up to the G20.

“If that can’t be done, if Indonesia and others don’t agree, then we should, in my opinion, request that Ukraine be allowed to both participate and observe the meetings,” the president added.

The treasury secretary and other officials stormed out of a conference of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington earlier this month when Russia’s finance minister began speaking.

According to Psaki, Putin and Russia have “become a pariah on the global stage” due to the move.

She told reporters, “Both the president and Secretary Yellen have emphasized that we can’t have business as usual at the G20 or in many of these international venues when it comes to Russia.”