Risky for one, dilemma for others
All G20 members but Russia will be in a dilemma if Russia's Vladimir Putin travels to the summit.
Almost three months before its annual regular summit held this year by its rotating chair Indonesia in coming November in Indonesia's Bali, the Group of 20 (G20) finds itself in an inconvenient situation.
| Russia is a G20 member and was invited by Indonesia to attend this year's G20 summit in Bali. Photo: VNA |
The military clash in Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine which leads to the uncompromising confrontation between Russia and the West. The West with many block states being members of the G20 has been since trying its utmost to politically isolate and economically sanction Russia and its president Vladimir Putin personally. In 2014, Russia was excluded from G8. But Russia is a G20 member and was invited by Indonesia to attend this year's G20 summit in Bali.
According to Indonesia's president Joko Widodo, both President Putin and China's president Xi Jinping will come to the G20 event in Bali. It quickly becomes extremely sensitive for the G20 and its future, for the hosting country Indonesia and its president personally, and for all G20 members when attending this summit and dealing with the escalating confrontation between the West and Russia.
For all of them, there is very much at stake. Everyone would like to occupy the forum or at least not let the others occupy it in Bali. This summit would be a very proper occasion for Russia's Vladimir Putin to break the political isolation by the West, to seek allies among G20 members, or at least to prevent the Western block members from rallying other G20 members against Russia. The only risk for him would be the scenario in which the Western block G20 members successfully transform the Bali summit into a battlefield to confront him and Russia over Ukraine. Many G20 members keep being neutral between Russia and the West.
The Western block members don't want to sit at the same table with him and will certainly boycott Mr. Putin's speech. Their dilemma will be that they must come to Bali and would like to dominate the meeting but must try to find proper ways to boycott Mr. Putin. The dilemma of other members will be to keep a balance between these two confronting sides without harming their interests in the G20 and at the summit. It will be very hard for Indonesia, if not impossible, to successfully organize the event, achieve significant results at the summit, and for G20 to advance forwards. The present world politics seems to be not supportive of Indonesia's G20 chairmanship and of the G20 agenda to govern the world.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Ambassador Tran Duc Mau are of his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Hanoi Times.
