As the current president of the G20, Indonesia will hold the 17th meeting of the G20 in Bali. There is pressure from other member states, particularly the West, not to invite the Russian president Vladimir Putin and remove its membership from the G20 to condemn the recent invasion of Ukraine. The last time when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Putin walked out of the G20 summit held in Australia. Putin received a chilly welcome, and the West tried to isolate Russia from the Summit. Russia was even kicked out of its membership in the G8 at that time.
While the goal is to bar Putin from joining the G20 Summit, it is doubtful that Biden’s wish will come true as it needs other member states’ approval, including Indonesia. The US President even stated that the US would not attend the G20 Summit in Indonesia if Russia is present unless Ukraine is also invited to the summit. Indonesia President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked President Russia Vladimir Putin and President Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the upcoming G20 meeting. Both Putin and Zelenskyy have confirmed they will attend the G20 Summit in Indonesia. Then, why did Indonesia decide to invite them to the G20 Summit?
The dissent within the G20 member states?
It is not the first disagreement raised among member states, as it consists of dozens of countries; differences are something that regularly happens. Yet this time may differ as, on the one hand, the US and Canada have voiced their disapproval of Russia’s presence in the upcoming G20 Summit. On the other hand, there is also an apparent disagreement among other G20 members to forbid Russia’s attendance and eliminate their membership, especially from China, Brazil, and South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa blamed NATO for the war in Ukraine. At the same time, Brazil Foreign Minister Carlos Franca believes that banning Russia will not help find a solution to the war. China also stressed that Russia is still a vital member and that other states have no right to expel another.
Harold Guetzkow (1957) argues there are specific demands from members of social units to obtain satisfaction of their economic, cultural, or political needs in the social groups. The demands also change when the environmental conditions change, and they may be realizable through self-reliant policies in isolation or in relation to other political units. The attitude or behavior of other states may constitute different or external responses which could result in isolation or collaboration to achieve the goals. The condition is also affected by the interaction with the group that is more congruent or contradictory.
The changes in demands by the US and West to bar Russia are part of the changing environments. Indeed the Russian invasion of Ukraine has jeopardized the international rule-based order and human rights values, and the approach seems contradictory rather than congruent to the US. Many other countries have also put sanctions on Russia and banned oil and gas imports from Russia. The momentum was used by the US and West countries to add their agenda to isolate Russia from international forums such as the G20.
Indonesia wants all members to attend
Many countries have voiced their opinion, and it puts more pressure on Indonesia as the host country. Even Ukraine, a non-G20 member, urged Indonesia to set a plan for discussing the current invasion in Ukraine, though it was later declined. As the current president of the G20, Indonesia has two choices such as to use a contradictory or congruent approach. It is not Indonesia’s favor to break the G20 into G19 or even smaller. Indonesia realizes that the G20 Summit is a major international economic conference that will boost both business and economy for Indonesia, as well as a rare opportunity to lead international cooperation.
The summit may not be easy as even though all members were present, the US, the UK, and Canada will walk out when Russia’s representative spoke at the summit. Indonesia chooses to collaborate and choose not to choose either the US or Russia. As its foreign policy practices bebas aktif or free and active, Indonesia’s positioning itself to not directly condemn and critics Russia’s invasion. It does not mean Indonesia is not supporting the human rights and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine. It does not mean that Indonesia is passive and neutral, but Indonesia could not lose one of those member states in the G20 Summit. The strategic partnership within the G20 is far more important to Indonesia, and excluding Russia will harm Indonesia’s interest to hold a full member state’s attendance at the G20 Summit.
Indonesia’s decision to invite Ukraine is a clear response that Indonesia supports a diplomacy approach within the international sphere. Indonesia will not be dictated by the US or other states, and choose to carry out its free and active policies for its global interests. The US and West’s attempt to boycott Russia means a foil of Jokowi’s international agenda that he also focuses more on economic aspects. Moreover, the long-term isolation of Russia may also impact the global economy and market supply in other major countries which is not in Indonesia’s or the West’s interest.
