Breaking: Why Putin May Not Attend G-20 Summit – Italian Prime Minister, Draghi

Putin may be barred from G-20 gathering in Bali, Italian Prime Minister Draghi has hinted.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi says the Indonesian presidency of the Group of 20 nations has ruled out in-person participation by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the November meeting of the group in Bali.

The Nov. 15-16 summit risked awkward diplomatic encounters if Putin were to have come. The Kremlin had said earlier that Putin intended to go.

But Draghi, whose country held the G-20 presidency before handing it off to Indonesia, said Tuesday the G-7 had rallied to support Indonesian President Joko Widodo to organize a successful summit.

Asked about the Kremlin’s announcement that Putin would participate, Draghi said: “President Widodo excludes it. He was categorical: [Putin] is not coming. What might happen — I don’t know what will happen but what might happen is perhaps a remote intervention.”

Details later….