Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that he would not participate in this month’s G20 summit in Indonesia if Russian President Vladimir Putin attends.
“My personal position and that of Ukraine is that if the leader of the Russian Federation participates, [then] Ukraine will not participate,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference in Kyiv.
Putin on Wednesday discussed the upcoming G20 summit — which will be held on November 15-16 in Bali — with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a phone call, the Kremlin said.
The Kremlin statement did not say whether Putin — who has been waging all-out war on Ukraine since February — would attend the summit in person, a subject that has been the subject of speculation in recent months. U.S. President Joe Biden will also attend, and American officials are working to ensure that a face-to-face meeting with Putin does not happen if the Russian leader is there.
Zelenskyy held his own call with Widodo on Thursday, during which the leaders discussed the Black Sea deal with Russia to allow vital grain shipments out of Ukrainian ports, as well as global food security.
“Attention was also paid to preparations for the #G20 Summit,” Zelenskyy tweeted.
