Russian President Vladimir Putin leaves the scene during an award ceremony at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Wednesday. Photo: Contributor/Getty Images
Russia's President Vladimir Putin won't go to Bali for the G20 leaders' summit next week, Russian and Indonesian officials said on Thursday morning local time.
Why it matters: Officials in Moscow and Jakarta had said earlier this year Putin intended to travel to the Indonesian island for the meeting despite his military's war on Ukraine and strong objections from the U.S. and other nations.
- The confirmation came hours after Kremlin officials ordered Russian troops to withdraw from Kherson — the only provincial capital they had captured since they invaded Ukraine in February.
What they're saying: Yulia Tomskaya, chief of protocol at the Russian Embassy in Indonesia, told AFP that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will instead attend the G20.
- "President Putin's program is still being worked out, he could participate virtually," Tomskaya added.
- Jodi Mahardi, a spokesperson for Indonesia's coordinating minister of maritime and investment affairs, said Putin was expected to make a virtual appearance at one of the meetings during the summit, per Reuters.