As the newspaper notes, the paths of Biden and Putin could cross during the summit, for example, they could participate in the same large plenary session. But US officials have ruled out a formal meeting and are taking steps to ensure the US president doesn’t meet his Russian counterpart in a corridor or even in a group photo of leaders.
“We know what President Biden thinks of President Putin: he thinks he’s a killer, he thinks he’s a war criminal. You don’t usually meet murderers and war criminals,” said William Taylor, a former US ambassador to Ukraine. .
Putin and Biden only met once during the Biden presidency, at the Geneva Summit in the summer of 2021. As Russia subsequently threatened to invade Ukraine, they spoke several times, most recently in February, a few days earlier. of the beginning of the war.
The G-20 summit, to be held in Bali, will be the most anticipated multilateral meeting in recent years, as war has become a test bed for Europe. Unlike the G-7, which is made up entirely of rich democracies, the G-20 also includes several autocracies. Not all countries present are expected to rally around Ukraine, as European countries have done.
From the earliest days of the war, the United States has stressed that Ukrainians must be involved in any negotiations with Russia to end the invasion. And while diplomatic circles have been debating the possibility of a visit to Bali by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for weeks, US officials say the chances are slim, suggesting it may appear via video link instead.
