Advisor Says President Zelensky Considers Attending G20 Summit In Indonesia, If Vladimir Putin Attends In Person

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will consider attending in person at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia if Russian leader Vladimir Putin attends in person. This was revealed by the Adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak, regarding the format of the presence of President Zelensky.

"The president believes that he should be on Ukrainian territory, and today's online format allows for effective work at any summit," Podolyak said in an interview with the BBC Ukraine service.

"But, if he (President Putin) is going to be present (at the summit), we definitely have to think about the need for our presence."

He said the presence of the Russian leader at each event "indirectly means that the organizers of the event legitimize Russia's position" on the Ukraine issue.

It is known, the G20 Summit will be held on the island of Bali, Indonesia on November 15-16 in a face-to-face format.

As previously reported, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conveyed an invitation directly to President Zelensky to attend the G20 Summit, when the two leaders met in Kyiv some time ago.

"The facilities of the chairman and members of the G20 are very important for the restoration of peace. I thank you, Mr. President, for the personal invitation to take part in the G20 summit, and, of course, I accept it," President Zelensky said, citing the website of the Ukrainian Presidency, Thursday. June 30.

"Ukraine's participation will depend on the security situation in the country and on the composition of the participants," President Zelensky continued.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to attend the G20 summit in Bali in November. However, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the format of President Putin's attendance, live or video conference, had not been set.

"Yes, we have confirmed his participation. They have invited (him) to an offline meeting, but there is plenty of time. I hope the pandemic will allow this important forum to be held in an offline format," he quoted Anadolu Agency as saying, underlining Indonesia's official invitation, despite the pressure. stronger than Western countries.

Last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said conditions in the world, as well as the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Southeast Asia, were taken into consideration for President Putin's participation, whether physically or online.

"Regarding the November G20 summit, an official invitation from Indonesian President Joko Widodo addressed to the Russian leader has been accepted. Jakarta has been temporarily informed of President Vladimir Putin's intention to take part," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The format of participation can be clarified depending on the development of the situation in the world and taking into account the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Southeast Asia," the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian President's Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, previously said that there had been no decision regarding the format of Putin's participation in the G20 summit in Indonesia directly or in absentia.