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Indonesia has resisted pressure from Western countries to withdraw
its invitation to Putin and expel Russia from the group over the war
in Ukraine, saying it does not have the authority to do so without
consensus among members.
Putin might take part by video conference though "the format of
(his) participation is being worked out," Russia's state news agency
RIA reported, citing a diplomat in the Russian embassy in Indonesia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Putin on the
ground at the meeting on the island of Bali, the officials said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo had been trying to mediate between
global powers ahead of what will be the first meeting of leaders
from the group since Russia invaded Ukraine in what Putin calls a
"special military operation".
"(The president) has tried to ensure that everyone cools down and
that seems to be happening now," Luhut Pandjaitan, the Coordinating
Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs, told reporters in Bali.
The president told the Financial Times this week that Russia was
welcome at the summit, which he feared would be overshadowed by a
"very worrying" rise in international tensions.
"The G20 is not meant to be a political forum. It's meant to be
about economics and development," he was quoted as saying.
Indonesia has also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy,
who has said he will not take part if Putin does and was expected to
join virtually.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are
expected to join other world leaders at the summit which starts on
Nov. 15.
(Additional reporting by Gayatri Suroyo and Stanley Widianto in
Jakarta; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman,
Lincoln Feast, Gerry Doyle and Andrew Heavens)
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