'Step too far': Morrison warns about Putin attending Bali summit
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the G20 meeting in Bali later this year would be a "step too far".
Mr Morrison was speaking today after the Kremlin flagged that Mr Putin intends to attend the summit of world leaders in November, hosted by the Indonesian government.
Mr Morrison said he had raised concerns with Indonesia President Joko Widodo about Mr Putin attending amid the Ukraine conflict.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has raised the issue of Vladimir Putin's attendance at a G20 summit in Bali with President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, left. AAP
"And the idea of sitting around a table with Vladimir Putin, who the United States are already in the position of calling out war crimes in Ukraine, for me is a step too far," Mr Morrison said.
He said the Australian Government shared the the Biden administration's view when it formally accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine.
"I think they've gone through the evidence and made those claims ... Australia would share their assessment based on what we have seen," Mr Morrison said.
Yesterday, Russia's Ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobieva said Mr Putin "wants to go" to the G20 leaders' summit in Bali at the end of this year.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to attend the G20 summit in Bali in November, Russian officials said. AP
Ms Vorobieva said Mr Putin's attendance would "depend on many, many things, including the COVID situation, that is getting better".
Ms Vorobieva said she hoped "that the Indonesian government will not give in to the horrible pressure that's being applied not only to Indonesia, but so many other countries in the world by the West".
Indonesia currently holds the rotating chair of the G20.
- Reported with CNN
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