While G20 meetings are supposed to be about global economic issues, there is no doubt that the war in Ukraine and China’s increasing army activity around Taiwan will be a focus.
Why after that have Putin plus Xi chosen to participate?
WHAT IS GOING TO VLADIMIR PUTIN’S NARRATIVE BE?
Despite so many world leaders being given the chance to confront your pet, Putin will nevertheless see this as an opportunity.
First, Putin can show (yet again) to the Russian people that he or she is a strong leader – that he is unafraid to face his nation’s enemies and will not back down.
He can say this individual offered to meet with United States President Joe Biden without preconditions, and Biden will change him down. It is because Biden cannot afford the US domestic politics cost of a meeting that wont result in progress.
Second, just conference Zelenskyy, with who Moscow has declined calls to meet for years, can be spun as an effort to achieve serenity.
Better still would be the opportunity to utilize this to create a split among Ukraine’s Western supporters. Might he mix this meeting with an increase in gas flows to Europe , timely as the mercury begins to fall in the arriving winter months? This could divide opinions on the US call for a weakened Russia.
Could Putin offer a ceasefire? Might Zelenskyy agree to any kind of territorial concessions? A lot depends on where the other forces are come November.
Perhaps this is why several analysts expect a near-term push simply by Russia to take Ukraine-controlled parts of the Donbas region and why Ukraine seems ready to try retaking Kherson in southern Ukraine.