Russia’s war in Ukraine to overshadow G-20 talks in Bali
Ukraine is not a member of G-20, but Widodo has invited Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to the November summit along with Putin, hoping to appease all sides
JAKARTA: Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations are gathering in Indonesia's resort island of Bali for talks bound to be dominated by the conflict in Ukraine despite an agenda focused on global cooperation and food and energy security.
The one-day gathering will take place on Friday on the mostly Hindu island of the gods in the majority Muslim archipelago nation.
Underscoring the backdrop of tensions hanging over the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov stopped in various Asian capitals on their way to Bali, drumming up support and fortifying their ties in the region ahead of the talks.
The United States and its allies have sought to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin in as many ways as possible, including by threatening a boycott of the G-20's Bali summit in November unless Putin is removed from the forum.
So as this year's president of the G-20, Indonesia has been forced into playing a more constructive role on the world stage rather than acting just as an event organiser. The country has sought to remain neutral in dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and President Joko Widodo has been guarded in his comments.
Widodo was the first Asian leader to visit the warring countries. Ukraine is not a member of G-20, but Widodo has invited
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the November summit along with Putin, hoping to appease all sides and limit any distractions from the forum's agenda.
Zelenskyy has said he won't attend if the war is continuing then and has opted to follow the discussions by video link. Widodo reportedly told Italian Prime Minister Marion Draghi, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Germany, that Putin also will not be coming. Moscow has said a decision has not yet been made.
That apparent compromise may be put to the test when the
G-20 foreign ministers gather in Bali's heavily-guarded Nusa Dua tourist haven to lay the groundwork for the 17th summit of the West's economic powerhouses.
Strains between Washington and Beijing are also apparent: On Wednesday, China launched a scathing attack on the U.S. and NATO, just days before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Chinese foreign minister are due to meet in Bali.
Washington observes international rules only as it sees fit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing.
He said the so-called rulesbased international order is actually a family rule made by a handful of countries to serve the US self-interest.
A senior US official, speaking on condition he not be further identified, said it would be important to focus on the G-20 agenda in Bali, but that it clearly cannot be business as usual.
Zelenskyy said he won’t attend if war is continuing then and has opted to follow the discussions by video link