United States: Following Indonesia's announcement that Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping would attend this year's 20 summits, US President Joe Biden faces a difficult decision: attend an event with the two leaders, or Leave the gathering and let the opportunity shape its outcome.
As he prepares for the November meeting, Biden will have to confront the fact that nations such as Indonesia are refusing to take sides in the invasion of Ukraine despite his demands, and to rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. The US has been blamed as much as China.
Whatever the case, it was bad news for Biden when Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Thursday that Putin and Xi were most likely to attend the gathering in Bali.
This opens the way for a direct meeting between Putin and Biden. Even if they don't shake hands, the pair will literally share the stage during the formal events that accompany gatherings, photo shoots and the like.
"Xi Jinping will come." "President Putin has also confirmed that he will be involved," Widodo said. "We want this region to be stable and peaceful so that we can build economic growth." And I believe that Asian countries want the same thing as Indonesia."
With those comments, Jokowi effectively rejected Biden's demand that the international community condemn Putin for his decision to invade Ukraine. Biden, who believes Putin should face war crimes charges, lobbied for Russia's exit from the G20 soon after the invasion began, and US officials have previously called on Indonesia to exclude Putin from the Bali summit. was pressured to
However, it has become clear that countries such as Indonesia do not want to participate in the plan, as they have refused to halt economic trade with Russia. Similarly, they have become concerned about US-China tensions, describing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August as highly inflammatory.
"I think the question is how confrontational Biden is going to be," said Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. "Exclusion is not an option." We know that the administration believes that this will give Putin the summit."
On Friday, the White House decided not to push for the issue. In a statement, the National Security Council reiterated Biden's belief that Putin should not attend the summit while waging war on Ukraine. However, if he does, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should also be allowed to participate, according to the NSC.
That language made it possible for Zelensky to participate virtually, rather than personally. In July, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba did just that while virtually addressing a meeting of G20 foreign ministers.
The more important question is whether Zelensky's presence in Bali would validate Putin's presence. Haring commented, speculating that he might decide to forgo the opportunity altogether.
Even supporters of the Biden administration cast doubt on the effectiveness of his confrontational style.
Leon Panetta, President Obama's former CIA director and former Defense Secretary, said, "I don't think the president should try to avoid him.
"If we don't want a war with Russia or China, the solution will be through a willingness to negotiate with each other and see if there is no opportunity to try to improve our relationship," Panetta said.
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