Trouble in paradise for G20, Russia’s Kherson confusion, and Putin’s anti-colonial pose
Bali may be a tropical paradise, but the mood was tense as the world’s leaders descended on the Indonesian island for the annual G-20 summit. The conference begins today and from global warming to food security, there is a lot on the agenda but much of it has already been overtaken by the war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin didn’t turn up, sending his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov instead. Volodymyr Zelensky zoomed in with a plea to extend the grain export deal. Addressing the leaders of the “G-19,” deliberately ignoring Russia, Zelensky said believes that “now is the time that Russia’s war must and can be stopped.”
Meanwhile the G-20 hosts seem eager to appease the Kremlin. According to this Politico exclusive, the Indonesian authorities have softened their stance towards Russia and have tried to persuade Western countries to tone down theirs to give the summit at least the appearance of global cooperation. The prickly atmosphere of this year’s G-20 is emphasized by the abandonment of the traditional family photo of the leaders together. Instead fake bonhomie is being extended in individual greetings, so that the watching world will not have to wonder how much distance Western leaders will be able to put between themselves and Lavrov.
Lavrov is unlikely to want to meet Western leaders in any case, with the war going so badly wrong. In Kherson, the billboards still read “Russia is here for good” as crowds of exhausted and jubilant Ukrainians took to the streets to celebrate their liberation. It is a major victory for Ukraine but Russian generals say the withdrawal will help them stabilize their defensive positions. Russian state media is working hard to package the retreat of troops as a change of strategy. The main condition for Russia’s eventual victory, according to one article (in Russian), is for the nation “to unite in its trust in the leadership.” But trust must be hard when the messaging is so confusing. Putin annexed Kherson less than two months ago. And according to the current Russian criminal code, both supporting the retreat from Kherson and not supporting the retreat from Kherson is a punishable criminal offense.
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