Ambassador Russia for Indonesia, Lyudmila Vorobieva, said the President Vladimir Putin planning to attend the summit G20 which will take place in Bali the end of 2022.
The plan for Putin’s presence was expressed by Vorobieva despite pressure from a number of countries to remove Russia from the G20 group of countries in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
“Depending on the situation, so far he (Putin) is willing to come to the G20 summit,” Vorobieva said when asked if Putin would attend the meeting at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (23/3).
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, various countries in the world, especially the West, have tried to isolate Moscow from the financial system to international organizations.
Recently, the United States and Western countries that belong to the G7 group are considering expelling Russia from the G20 membership.
Despite the threat, Vorobieva said Russia will continue to support Indonesia’s presidency at this year’s G20.
“Indonesia became president of the G20 not to discuss the Russia-Ukraine crisis, but rather to improve the global economy and other issues. Exiting Russia (from the G20) will not help the global economy,” said Vorobieva.
“We support Indonesia’s presidency in the G20,” he added.
Russia is facing an onslaught of international sanctions led by western countries after it invaded Ukraine. Sanctions are imposed to isolate the red bear country from the global economy.
Some of the sanctions imposed are closing Russia from the SWIFT international transaction system and limiting transactions with its central bank.
For information, the format of the G7 was expanded to include the G8 Russia during a period of warmer relations in early 2000. However, Moscow was suspended indefinitely from the group after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
On previous occasions, Poland advised US trade officials to replace Russia in the G20 group.
Meanwhile, a G7 source said it was unlikely that Indonesia, the country currently leading the G20 Presidency, or members such as India, Brazil, South Africa, and China would agree to exclude Russia from the G20.
(blq / rds)
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