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JAKARTA: Indonesia faced down United States opposition and invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in November, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Joko Widodo said on Friday (Apr 29).
Jakarta, which holds the G20 presidency this year, has been under heavy pressure from the West, led by the US, to exclude Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, but it has argued that it must remain "impartial".
"I have invited President Zelenskyy to attend the G20 summit," said Widodo, suggesting that a compromise had been reached following pressure from US President Joe Biden and others to allow Ukraine's participation to strike a balance.
Putin confirmed in a phone call with Widodo that he will attend the summit, to take place on Bali island, the Indonesian leader said in a livestreamed address.
Russia is a G20 member, while Ukraine is not.
Biden's administration made clear its view on Putin's invitation on Friday.
"The president has expressed publicly his opposition to President Putin attending the G20. We have welcomed the Ukrainians attending," Biden press secretary Jen Psaki said in Washington.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asi...wns-indonesia-invite-putin-g20-summit-2656951