The Pentagon has announced that it thinks that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not attend the upcoming G-20 summit, the Washington Examiner reports.
The announcement was made by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Friday after Putin accepted an invitation by Indonesia’s president for the event.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to and accepted the opportunity to attend the G-20 summit, but the Pentagon doesn’t believe the invitation should’ve been extended.
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 30, 2022
“Absolutely shouldn’t be”
“He absolutely shouldn’t be,” Kirby said in a CNN interview Friday morning.
“He has isolated Russia by his own actions and should continue to be isolated by the international community,” Kirby said.
He added: “I can’t speak for President Biden or what the schedule might offer for the president, for the United States attendance, but it is inappropriate, I think, for the entire international community to keep treating Russia as if things are normal — because it is not,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also been invited to the summit. The move could spark additional controversy with the potential for both leaders to attend.
War rages on
Russia has continued its invasion of Ukraine since Feb. 24. Despite moving away from some cities, Putin’s forces continue to operate in the eastern part of the nation.
The U.S. and other nations have also invested billions in support of Ukraine and its refugees. Many nations, including the U.S., have implemented strong sanctions against Russia and its companies.
Some intelligence experts are predicting a big decision on May 9 in Russia as well. It is suggested Putin may claim some sort of victory in Ukraine.
Alternatively, Putin may declare full-out war with Ukraine, calling up additional forces to enter the already war-torn nation, only time will tell.
In any case, his invitation to meet with world leaders is a bad move, and one many hope will not actually happen.