Putin’s participation in the G20 would go “too far”

(Melbourne) Allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit, to be held at the end of the year in Indonesia, would go “too far”, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

“Russia invaded Ukraine. It is a violent and aggressive act that shatters the international rule of law,” Morrison said at a press conference in Melbourne. “And the idea of ​​sitting around a table with Vladimir Putin… in my eyes, is going too far”.

Mr Putin has been invited to take part in the summit of the world’s 20 largest economies, to be held in November in Bali, despite calls to exclude Moscow from the G20 in reaction to the war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the Russian ambassador to Indonesia said that the president “so far intends” to come to this summit which must notably bring together China, the United States, Japan and European countries.

“I think we need to have countries in the room that are not invading other countries,” the Australian prime minister said Thursday, adding that he was in “direct liaison” with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the matter.

China spoke out on Wednesday against excluding Russia, saying it is an “important member” of the G20 and that no one has the right to expel another country.

For its part, Washington has raised the possibility of excluding Moscow from certain international organizations, including the G20.

Mr Morrison pointed out that Australia and the Netherlands also this month launched new legal proceedings against Russia over Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine on 17 July 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

International investigators say he was hit by a surface-to-air missile delivered from a Russian military base.

“We know how Vladimir Putin can act when it comes to stealing the lives of innocent civilians,” Mr Morrison said.

Australia on Sunday banned exports of alumina and bauxite to Russia, while promising to provide more arms and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

According to the government, Australia has taken 476 sanctions against Russian people and institutions since the invasion of Ukraine began a month ago.