The U.S. is among nations pressing Indonesia to include Ukraine as a guest at the Group of 20 summit in November, frustrated at Jakarta’s refusal to withdraw an invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The shift in tactics shows the diplomatic wrangling confronting Indonesia as G-20 hosts this year, and the dilemma for member states including the U.S. given Putin’s war in Ukraine, now entering its third month. Russia is a member of the G-20, alongside countries like China and India, which have not joined sanctions on Moscow for its aggression.
The U.S. and some other Group of Seven members are now asking Jakarta, which has said it wants to “remain impartial” as rotating chair of the G-20, to extend an invitation for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend at least some of the meeting, according to officials familiar with the matter. A White House spokesperson declined to comment.
