Putin Likely to Attend G20 Video Conference on the 22nd

Russian State Media Crew Shares News on Telegram
Rare Meeting with Western Leaders

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) virtual summit hosted online by India on the 22nd (local time).

Russian President Vladimir Putin
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

According to a report by Yonhap News on the 20th citing the Telegram of Pavel Zarubin, a reporter for Russia's state broadcaster Rossiya 1, President Putin is expected to appear alongside Western leaders for the first time in a while through this G20 virtual summit. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, also announced on the same day that President Putin will participate in the G20 virtual summit and "will explain Russia's consistent and balanced position regarding the very turbulent current situation."

Previously, President Putin did not attend the two G20 summits held in Bali, Indonesia in November last year and in New Delhi last September, sending Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his place. He attended the BRICS summit held in South Africa last August virtually and did not actually visit the venue.

Since an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant was issued against him in March on charges including the forced displacement of children related to the Ukraine situation, he has refrained from traveling abroad. According to the Indian media outlet Times of India, the meeting is expected to review the main outcomes of the New Delhi G20 summit and address international issues such as the Russia-Ukraine situation and the Israel-Hamas conflict.