G20 summit will take place without Putin – the night update without photos Russia reduces nuclear threats – here are the possible reasons

Putin will not travel to G20 summit in Indonesia

According to the Indonesian government, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the G20 summit in Bali. Instead, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travels to the meeting of the 20 major industrialized countries on the Indonesian island. Jodi Mahardi, spokesman for the Ministry of Investment responsible for coordinating the summit, announced this on Thursday. The Kremlin chief had long left open his participation in the November 15-16 meeting.

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will be a central topic at the summit. For many, Putin’s decision came as no surprise. The Kremlin chief had ordered the invasion of the neighboring country on February 24. Despite international protests, he has annexed four areas of Ukraine in violation of international law. No country recognizes this step.

Hosting the summit, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced a peace initiative for Ukraine. Indonesia will invite everyone to “sit down and engage in a constructive dialogue,” he said in late October. Widodo also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the summit, even though the country is not a member of the G20. Zelenskyy said he would not travel to the meeting if Putin was present. Selenskyj denounces Russia as a “terrorist state” and calls for the exclusion of the “aggressor” from the G20 group – in which Moscow is not completely isolated from supporters such as China, India and Turkey.

At the summit, the Russian delegation will meet on an international stage for the first time with the heads of state or government of the G7, who have imposed severe sanctions on Russia over the war against Ukraine.

All current developments about the war in Ukraine are also available in the live ticker:

Zelenskyj warns of euphoria after Russian withdrawal from Kherson

Meanwhile, fighting on the fronts in Ukraine continues. Despite Moscow’s announced withdrawal from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and from the entire right bank of the Dnipro, Zelensky urged restraint. There was “a lot of joy” after the announcement, he said in his daily video speech on Wednesday evening. “But our emotions must be held back – especially during the war.” At the same time, he announced further operations without describing them in more detail.

Zelenskyy pointed out that the withdrawal of the Russian occupiers was mainly due to the successes of the Ukrainian armed forces. “The enemy gives us no gifts, makes no gestures of goodwill.” No one just withdraws “just because”, “except under pressure”.

The Ukrainian military will continue to move “very carefully, without emotion, without undue risk,” Zelensky said. And this with as little loss as possible. “In this way we will secure the liberation of Kherson, Kakhovka, Donetsk and our other cities.”

Zelenskyy warned decision makers in Moscow against ordering to blow up the Kakhovka dam over Kherson or damage the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. “This would mean they would declare war on the whole world.”

Pressured by constant Ukrainian attacks, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday ordered the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson and the entire region around the city. After the failure of the advance to Kiev and the retreat at Kharkov, this is considered another military defeat for Russia. Moscow called the withdrawal a “military necessity” and “regrouping of forces”.

Russian attacks on Krivyi Rih – Ukrainians advance near Kherson

On Wednesday, Ukrainian soldiers advanced slowly towards Kherson, claiming to liberate the towns of Pravdino and Kalinovskoye, which had been fiercely fought over in recent days. The Ukrainian invasion was preceded by the withdrawal of the Russians from the two cities, Ukrajinska Pravda reported.

Russian attacks hit the southern Ukrainian city of Krivyi Rih on Wednesday evening. According to the Ukrainian military administration, cassette bombs containing cluster munitions from Russian rocket launchers were used. The population was urged to be especially careful not to detonate the small, cylindrical explosives.

The Russian side acknowledged that the Ukrainian armed forces were preparing to advance towards the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. About 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers had gathered around the city of Zaporizhzhya for this purpose, the Tass agency quoted a representative of the occupation administration as saying. Among these troops are about 300 commandos specially trained for this mission in Great Britain. The information could not be independently verified.

The Russian army controls the nuclear power plant south of Zaporizhzhya, which is considered the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been trying to establish a no-fighting zone around the plant for months.

Kiev rejects new offer of talks from Russia

Ukraine’s leadership on Wednesday rejected a renewed offer of talks by Moscow as a “new smokescreen”. “Russian officials begin offering talks when Russian troops suffer defeats on the battlefield,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko wrote on Facebook, referring to the Russian occupiers’ announced withdrawal from Kherson. With the new offer of dialogue, Russia is only playing time to regroup and strengthen its forces and then initiate “new waves of aggression”.

In Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova offered Russia’s willingness to hold talks “on the basis of current reality”. This meant the current status on the fronts. “We’re still willing to talk, we’ve never refused,” she said.

Kiev has already rejected several offers from Moscow to negotiate and demands the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, including from the Crimean peninsula (sda/dpa)