President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Bali later this year to attend the G20 Summit despite calls to exclude Russia from the event following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, an official has confirmed.
Speaking in a press conference in Jakarta earlier today, Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobyova fielded questions surrounding Putin’s appearance in Bali amid the ongoing war.
“Depends on the situation [later], [but] so far he (Putin) wants to come to the G20 Summit,” said Vorobyova.
As previously reported, many countries, such as the US, have imposed sanctions against Russia since the country invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24. Some of the sanctions include blocking Russia-issued bank cards that have put many travelers from the country in limbo and out of funds abroad.
Despite calls to exclude Russia from G20, Vorobyova said that her country aims to support Indonesia’s presidency of the intergovernmental forum and the summit, which will be held in Bali towards the end of this year.
“Indonesia being G20 leader is not to talk about the Russia-Ukraine crisis, but more about improving the global economy as well as other issues. Excluding Russia [from G20] is not going to help the global economy,” she said.
Aside from a tweet by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo denouncing war in general, Indonesia has not imposed any sanctions on Russia, and, as such, was not included in Putin’s “shit list.”
UPDATED: Corrected spelling of Russia’s Ambassador to Indonesia.
