JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year, receiving valuable support from Beijing on Wednesday rejecting the discourse of possible expulsion of the Red Bear Country from the group.
The United States and its Western allies are assessing whether Russia should remain in the Group of Twenty major economies after the invasion of Ukraine, sources involved in the discussions told Reuters.
However, any move to exclude Russia may be vetoed by other countries in the group, raising the prospect of some countries skipping the G20 meeting, the sources said.
"There is a discussion about whether it is appropriate for Russia to be part of the G20. If Russia remains a member, it will be a less useful organization", said a senior G7 source.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ambassador to Indonesia, who currently serves as G20 President, said President Putin intends to travel to Bali to attend the G20 Summit at the end of October.
"It will depend on many, many things, including the COVID situation, getting better. So far, the intention is, He wants (to come)", Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.
Asked about suggestions Russia could be kicked out of the G20, he said it was a forum to discuss economic issues and not a crisis like Ukraine.
"Of course expelling Russia from this kind of forum will not help solve this economic problem. On the other hand, without Russia, it will be difficult to do so."
China, which does not condemn Russia's invasion and criticizes Western sanctions, defended Moscow on Wednesday, calling Russia an "important member" of the G20.
The G20 is a group that needs to find answers to critical issues, such as the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
"No member has the right to dismiss another country as a member. The G20 must implement real multilateralism, strengthen unity and cooperation", he stressed at a press conference.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the G20 members had to decide but that issue was not a priority now.
"When it comes to the question of how to proceed with the WTO (World Trade Organization) and the G20, it is very important to discuss this question with the countries involved and not decide individually", Scholz said.
"It's quite clear that we are busy with other things besides gathering in such gatherings. We urgently need a ceasefire", he said.
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Russia's participation in the G20 will almost certainly be discussed on Thursday, when US President Joe Biden meets allies in Brussels, Belgium.
"We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and the international community", he said. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.
The nearly month-long invasion has forced more than 3.5 million people to flee, bringing Russia's unprecedented economic isolation, raising fears of a wider conflict in the West unthinkable for decades.
The United Nations human rights office in Geneva said on Tuesday it had recorded 953 civilian deaths and 1,557 injuries since the invasion. The Kremlin denies targeting civilians.
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