Reaction to Russia and Ukraine's invitation to the G20 Summit
The world sharpens its sights because Russia is in the spotlight. Since the Kremlin began its invasion of Ukraine, every decision is being thought twice, and one of them is Russia's participation in the G20. Indonesia, which currently holds the G20 presidency, reported that Vladimir Putin was planning to attend the upcoming summit in Bali in November, the first since the invasion began. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "too early" to give further details on the modalities of his participation.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo also reported that he had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenski and invited him to participate in the summit, even though Ukraine is not a member of the G20. Indonesia has always maintained a neutral position and has not yet taken a position on Ukraine's invasion.
However, Indonesia's confirmation of Russian involvement has provoked reactions across the West. So much so that at the last G20 meeting on 20 April, US and EU Finance Ministers, among others, walked out of the meeting in protest at Russia's presence.
Among them, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire declared that "war is incompatible with cooperation", urging Russia to refrain from participating in such meetings. So did Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystina Freeland: "This week's meetings in Washington are about sustaining the global economy, and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine is a serious threat to the global economy".
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also joined in the protests and decided to leave the meeting. Yellen, along with other British representatives, announced that they plan to boycott the sessions in which Russian officials participate.
In response to these positions, the Russian Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, retorted that "the G20 has always been and remains first and foremost an economic forum". Furthermore, he blamed the West for the current economic situation due to the sanctions imposed: "The sanctions artificially restrict market supply, which causes an imbalance and a sharp rise in prices", added the Russian minister.
The G20 summit includes many countries, and not all of them have taken the same stance on Russia's participation in the upcoming summit. Many of them have remained neutral, such as Mexico and Brazil. In fact, the Brazilian Economy Ministry declared that Brazil did not participate in the boycott.
Another of the member states that has postulated its neutrality is Argentina. Its Foreign Minister, Santiago Cafiero, has argued that the government of Alberto Fernández does not support the idea of 'separating' Russia from the G20. "Argentina does not support the separation of Russia from the G20 because we believe in multilateralism and multilateralism is made with countries seated at the table", said Cafiero, arguing that the G20 is "a strictly economic forum".
This escalation of tensions in the G20 has increased since the Russian invasion. The last G20 summit was held in February, shortly before the Russian invasion. In Jakarta, leaders pledged to coordinate for a "stronger" global recovery. However, the Russian offensive has cast a shadow over the international landscape with rising inflation.
Positions have now shifted and the West vetoes Russia's participation. However, these positions are not new, especially with Russia. The formerly G8 expelled Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014, and renamed itself G7 with the other members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States and United States.
Coordinator for the Americas: José Antonio Sierra.
