G20’s Putin problem: how to react if Russian president attends Bali Summit; Hillary Clinton says boycott event
- Putin’s attendance could mean some leaders stay away and instead send lower-level delegations, or officials may conduct proceedings virtually
- Russia booted from G8 after annexing Crimea, but G20 eviction would need consensus from countries like China, which has not condemned Moscow’s action on Ukraine
Russia’s war in Ukraine is looming large over a Group of 20 summit that is still seven months off, with officials frantically preparing in case President Vladimir Putin decides to turn up.
The range of possible scenarios includes some leaders staying away, sending lower-level delegations or only dialling in from afar, according to people familiar with the discussions among member countries. The meeting could very well end without a formal communique for the first time.
This year’s G20, which includes conversations among chief negotiators, a slate of ministerial meetings and then the summit in November, is being hosted by Indonesia, which finds itself in a very uncomfortable position given the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia was booted from the then Group of Eight after its annexation of Crimea in 2014, but evicting it from the G20 is a far more complicated prospect, with nations like China likely balking at a move that requires consensus to enact.
The G20 has faced difficulty before, including during Donald Trump’s tenure when he lambasted other countries for their trade policies and questioned global institutions in general. It has survived in part out of the belief that sticking together can help confront global challenges such as climate change, poverty, economic downturns and, most recently, the pandemic. This is set to be its biggest test yet.
Multiple officials said kicking Russia out of the group that was formed in 1999 to deal with a world economic crisis is not an option, even though President Joe Biden has called for it. That leaves Indonesia working out how to manage the summit on the tropical island of Bali if Putin makes an appearance.
US officials have privately debated whether Biden should skip the event if Putin takes part, according to a person familiar with the discussions. But at this point Biden would likely still attend in person, two people familiar with the planning said.