Ukraine, Putin invited to G20 summit

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Ukraine, Putin invited to G20 summit

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin of Indonesia have been invited to join the Group of 20 to attend a big ticket summit in November.

The decision to invite both leaders shows the delicate balance the Southeast Asian country is trying to keep as the G 20 host this year. Russia is a member of the G 20, and the countries in the grouping have been divided over their reaction to Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

Indonesia s President Joko Jokowi Widodo said that the war in Ukraine and the pandemic have an impact on the recovery of the global economy and that it was in this context that he invited Putin and Zelenskyy to the summit in separate calls with them over the week.

He said in a speech that he expressed my hope that the war can end soon and that a peaceful solution through talks can progress. We understand that G 20 can be a catalyst for global economic recovery. So far Putin hasn't met Zelenskyy, even though the Ukrainian leader says it's the only way to end the war. Talks for a temporary cease-fire have struggled for traction and there has been no significant progress on a broader peace deal.

The situation in the battlefield will depend on the presence of Zelenskyy at the summit in Bali, according to a senior Ukrainian government official, Vysotskyi Taras.

While Jokowi said Putin intended to attend, a Kremlin spokeswoman said he had yet to confirm.

The U.S. and some of its allies have been pressing for Indonesia to extend an invitation to Ukraine, frustrated at Jakarta's refusal to exclude Putin. A host nation usually invites leaders from a handful of non-G 20 states to attend as observers, though they don't sit in formal meetings.

Russia has been heavily sanctioned by some G 20 states for its war in Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden has said he would support Russia being evicted from the G 20 entirely, although other members like China oppose that.

Russia was evicted from the smaller Group of Eight after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Jokowi said don't let there be division. Peace and stability are the keys to the recovery and development of the global economy.