JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a Group of 20 summit in Bali later this year, said the country's ambassador to Indonesia.
His presence on the resort island in November will depend on the state of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as the country's Covid-19 situation and security matters, said Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva in a Wednesday briefing in Jakarta.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo earlier said that Mr Putin, along with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, will attend the summit.
The meeting also sets up the possibility of the first Biden-Putin encounter since Moscow’s order to invade Ukraine.
Mr Biden on Tuesday said he was “sure” he would meet Mr Xi in November if the Chinese leader decides to attend the G-20 summit.
“If he’s there I’m sure I’ll see him,” Mr Biden told reporters at the White House.
Mr Biden has not met with Mr Xi since becoming president in January 2021, limiting contact between the two superpower leaders to a series of phone and video calls.
Tensions are mounting over China’s threats to US-backed Taiwan and a still unresolved trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies.
However, opportunities for a summit have been squeezed by the global Covid-19 pandemic and Mr Xi’s cutting of international travel.
The White House has yet to confirm details of President Joe Biden’s travel plans.
During their last phone exchange, held in July, a US official said Mr Biden and Xi had decided to “find a mutually agreeable time” for a face-to-face meeting. BLOOMBERG, AFP
