Putin is skipping G20


Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the G20 summit in Indonesia next week, avoiding confrontation with the U.S. over his actions in Ukraine, reports The Associated Press.
Indonesian government official Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan shared the information saying it was "the best for all." He said the reason for not attending was unknown but speculated that "it's because President Putin is busy at home," adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also not be attending.
In his place, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend with the potential for Putin to join virtually depending on his program, Politico explains. The G20 is part of three summits taking place in Southeast Asia. President Biden will be attending G20 plus one other summit, with Vice President Kamala Harris attending the third. At this time, it is unknown whether Lavrov will be representing Russia in all three summits.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden had mentioned that he would not meet individually with Putin during the summit other than to discuss freeing American prisoners in Russia, like Brittney Griner who was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.
The decision comes as Russia retreats from Kherson City, the only Ukrainian regional capital it managed to capture. The retreat signaled a potential stalemate on fighting over the winter, and perhaps an opportunity for the countries to negotiate peace, AP continues.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Music reviews: Bruce Springsteen and Benson Boone
Feature "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" and "American Heart"
-
Why passkeys are the next frontier in digital security
A disruptive new technology promises to put passwords to bed forever — but not yet
-
Thomas Mallon's 6 favorite books from the 80's and early 90's
Feature The author recommends works by James Merrill, Calvin Trillin, and more
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible