Biden's Participation Uncertain While Putin Expected To Attend As India Gears Up To Host Virtual G20 Leaders' Summit

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to virtually chair another G20 Summit on Wednesday, uncertainty surrounds the participation of United States President Joe Biden.

Despite this, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the summit through video conferencing from Moscow.

Eric Garcetti, the Washington DC envoy to New Delhi, mentioned on Monday (21 November) that due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, it remains uncertain whether President Biden will be able to participate in the virtual summit.

Garcetti highlighted Biden's recent visit to New Delhi from 8 to 10 September for the 18th G20 Summit hosted by Modi.

While Putin is anticipated to attend the virtual summit, there has been no confirmation from Beijing regarding the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi, however, is set to join Modi, Putin, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil through video conferencing on Tuesday for a virtual BRICS summit to discuss the West Asia conflict.

During the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi, leaders adopted the Delhi Declaration, which avoided direct criticism of Russia for its military actions in Ukraine.

India, as the G20 Presidency holder until 30 November, announced the hosting of the virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit at the closing ceremony in September.

Leaders from G20 member countries, the chair of the African Union, nine guest countries, and heads of 11 international organisations have been invited for the virtual summit.

The virtual G20 Summit aims to build on key outcomes and action points from the New Delhi summit, reviewing developments since then.

It will also advocate for the effective implementation of various G20 decisions through relevant national and international platforms, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.