Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the invitation of Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo to the G20 summit, which will be held in Bali on November 15-16. This was announced by Putin's assistant Yuri Ushakov, he is quoted by Interfax. Political scientist, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Georgy Kunadze, in a conversation with The Insider, described Putin's decision with the saying "For seven miles of jelly to sip" ( in vain to go on a long journey ). He also said that the decision to personally attend the summit was probably not easy for Putin.

“For some time now, Putin somehow does not work out with these summits. Remember what obstruction he was subjected to in November 2014 at the same summit in Brisbane, Australia? It was shortly after a special Russian operation “Crimea returned to its native harbor”, and pro-Russian separatists suddenly appeared in eastern Ukraine. Few people in the world saw the triumph of law and justice in this. The countries of Western civilization were unanimously indignant, the rest "tactfully" kept silent.

As a result, at the G20 summit, no one wanted to communicate with Vladimir Putin and did not even sit down at the same table with him at a buffet lunch. And so he sat alone, playing with his jaws. And he went home without waiting for the end of the official events. Several subsequent summits passed without visible scandals, although the estrangement towards the Russian leader was very noticeable.

The political scientist recalled that then all the summits switched to videoconferencing due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now the meetings are again held in person. According to him, Putin is worried about his health, so the face-to-face summit could be a test for him.

“Vladimir Putin is known to be a man of desperate courage, but he is reverent about his health. And, of course, he doesn’t want to pick up some overseas muck in Bali. In this sense, the upcoming trip to the G20 summit will certainly be a difficult test for him. Moreover, nothing good awaits him there. At least the same obstruction as in 2014 in Brisbane. And as a maximum, even more full-fledged tubs of "slander" on the peace-loving foreign and democratic domestic policy of Russia.

Worse, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who has become one of the world's most popular politicians in recent months, will arrive in Bali as an invited guest. In Bali, he will undoubtedly receive an enthusiastic welcome, and the brilliant and invincible Mr. Putin will not even be remembered. Well, for the sake of what, one wonders, to drag yourself into such a distance, to slurp jelly for seven miles? Wouldn't it be better to send someone else to the summit? For example, some Dmitry Medvedev. He didn't care for a long time. In a word, the decision on the participation of the President of Russia in the upcoming G20 summit does not seem final to me.”

In 2014, Putin did not show up for a working breakfast at the G20 summit in Australia. He himself explained his absence by the fact that it took him a long time to return to Russia and then still work, Interfax reported.

“So that there is no speculation here. I didn't go to the common breakfast, but our finance minister stayed there. We fly nine hours from here to Vladivostok and another nine to Moscow. I still have to get home and go to work on Monday. And another four or five hours of sleep.

The media also drew attention to the fact that at one of the breakfasts at the international forum, the president was sitting almost completely alone, while the other leaders were talking to each other.