The presidents of two countries engaged in an armed conflict, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, could both attend the G20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali this November, the leader of the host nation has said.
During his online address on Friday, President Joko Widodo said Putin has confirmed to him by phone that he will attend the high-profile event.
“I have invited President Zelensky to attend the G20 summit,” the Indonesian president added, confirming an earlier announcement by the Ukrainian leader.
Russia is a member of the G20, which unites the world’s top economies, while Ukraine is not part of the club.
Widodo made it clear that inviting Zelensky to Bali as an observer was a part of a compromise reached with the West, which has been pushing for Russia to be barred from the summit over its military operation in Ukraine.
Since the start of the conflict in late February, the Indonesian leader has been reluctant to give in to such pressure, arguing that the host nation has to remain impartial.