The Kremlin announced today, Friday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to personally attend the G20 summit in India next September. This week, the Russian president participated in a meeting of BRICS leaders from emerging economies in South Africa via video link.
In related news, India's representative at the G20 summit, Amitabh Kant, pointed out today that "his country hopes to convince G20 members to find amicable solutions to geopolitical issues," in response to a question about the Russia-Ukraine war. The Ukrainian war has cast a shadow over global diplomacy since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine in February of last year. India, which currently holds the presidency of the G20, has largely maintained a neutral stance, generally refraining from placing blame on Russia and calling for a diplomatic resolution.
Kant stated in his speech at a G20 entrepreneurs summit in New Delhi that "the group supports growth, but the war has had huge ramifications for the economy in terms of food, fuel, and fertilizer challenges." He added: "The war is not of our making... the challenge we face is to prioritize developmental issues." The G20 summit is scheduled to be held next month. India hopes that members of the group will reach an agreement during their two-day summit on issues ranging from reforms of multilateral banks to developing a global approach to cryptocurrencies.
