Exclusion of Moscow from the G20 table, the only international summit meeting of the world’s greats, at which Moscow has so far been able and still can assert its foreign policy interests, then economic and monetary policy, also because it is a member of the it, founded in 1999. Washington does not intend to to ease pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine and raises the bar of ideological, diplomatic and financial confrontation with Vladimir Putin to keep him out of the only global summit of great powers was expelled from the G8 due to the annexation of Crimea, reverting to its original G7 format.
“Putin should not be invited to the G20” expected in Bali, Indonesia in November, said US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby, repeating the call for expulsion made by Joe Biden back in late March, a month after the invasion of Russia. “The president was clear: this year’s G20 summit cannot go on as before,” as if the rockets had not fallen on civilians in Ukraine. “Putin isolated Russia, he must pay for the consequences of what he did and is doing” towards Ukraine.
But the invitations have already left Jakarta. And Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced that he had offered not only Putin but also Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend, prompting American reaction. According to Tass, the Moscow government news agency, the Russian leader has already expressed his “gratitude” for the invitation and announced his willingness to participate. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov intervened to partially correct the recording after the statements from America, arguing that it is not yet certain whether Putin will attend the summit in person or virtually. As for a possible, expected and crucial meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, which the second has been asking for for some time and the first has refused, Peskov said it was “premature” to talk about it. “Putin wished the Indonesian Presidency of the G20 every success and assured that Russia will do everything necessary and possible to contribute.”
But the November summit will become the new battlefield and the last American pickaxe against Moscow, which Washington wants to isolate in every way, taking away from it the summit that was born after the collapse of the USSR, also to help the severe recession of Russia and others economies encountered, but immediately became a stage used by Moscow to reshape its image, resume diplomatic relations, reaffirm its international role and weight in foreign policy. A phase in which the conflict about the war in Syria took place in 2013. On the one hand Barack Obama, who seeks support for a UN-sanctioned military intervention, on the other hand, Putin, who defends the Assad regime. The war went on. And the Ukraine conflict seems to be permanent, because the head of diplomacy in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov, warns of sanctions: “The West does not expect Russia to fall”. Therefore, the White House is considering all options for the G20: Biden’s participation even if Putin is present, sending a smaller delegation, and even remote participation.
Meanwhile, the White House is urging lawmakers and senators to approve “as soon as possible” the president’s request for 33 billion in funding for Ukraine (20 in military aid), which was tabled Thursday and vowed to keep guns until war to send to Kyiv he will continue. Congress, following the vote in the House of Representatives, has already given the go-ahead for the measure to expedite the shipment of war material: the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, a World War II law passed by Washington at the President’s suggestion to use the British Army against Nazi Germany to arm. Biden is following in Roosevelt’s footsteps against Hitler. And the Pentagon admits: “We have started training the Ukrainian armed forces on key systems at US military bases in Germany, having already done so elsewhere.” The next shipment (ghost drones, radars and mines) will arrive in a dozen planes: in 24 hours.