Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 25: The Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to attend in person the G20 summit to be held in Delhi in September.
“Putin is not planning a trip to the G20 summit in India which will be held in September. The main emphasis now is the special military operation [in Ukraine],” the Press Secretary to the Russian President Dmitry Peskov informed the Russian media on Friday. The Ministry of External Affairs has not responded to Peskov’s remarks so far.
Though Peskov gave the reason for Putin not attending the G-20 summit in person as giving priority to the on-going military operations in Ukraine, the real reason is believed to be the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Putin accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine, something the Kremlin strongly denies. The warrant means that Putin risks arrest when travelling abroad.
This week he attended a gathering of leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies in South Africa by video link, not in person.
Friday’s announcement by Peskov was in line with other recent international summits held after the beginning of the Ukraine crisis in February 2022, where Putin has remained absent. He is expected to travel to Turkey at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan towards the end of August but Friday’s announcement on his visit to India has also cast a shadow on this expected to Turkey as well.
Putin was expected to travel to Turkey to discuss the Black Sea Grain deal with Mr. Erdogan who has been in constant touch with Kremlin over the situation in Ukraine. The Turkish media had earlier informed that the visit was scheduled at the end of August. However, Russian sources refused to confirm that visit on Friday.
Putin did not attend last year’s G20 summit in Bali and similarly stayed away from the 15th BRICS summit that concluded in Johannesburg, South Africa only on Thursday. In both Bali and Johannesburg, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led the Russian delegation. Several leaders have already announced that they will travel to India for the G20 summit. The US president Joe Biden has confirmed visiting India from September 7 to 10 and attend the G-20 summit to be held on September 8 to 10. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia has also announced his travel plans for India.
In addition, the Chinese president Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, are also expected to attend the G20 Summit. The delegates will reach India on September 9. A gala dinner is planned in their honour on that day, and the attendees will visit Rajghat on September 10.
The Russian President, however, had visited Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in June 2022. In Tajikistan, he discussed the situation after the 2021 Taliban takeover in Kabul with President Emomali Rahmon and in Turkmenistan he participated in the Caspian Summit with a focus to improve land connectivity from South, West and Central Asia to Russia.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police has released a detailed advisory for the upcoming G20 summit. Special CP (Traffic) SS Yadav said restrictions would be put in place in the New Delhi area, since the summit would be held at the newly-built Bharat Mandapam convention centre in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan under India’s presidency. The restrictions will be put in place from the night of September 7 and remain in place till September 10, said Yadav.
Those who live in the New Delhi area will be allowed to move freely, but those coming from other districts of Delhi, or tourists from other places, will have to show valid hotel bookings to enter the area.
The traffic police has also warned people to not visit markets in the New Delhi area on September 8, 9 and 10. The Delhi Traffic Police will also keep cargo trucks out of Delhi for three days, said Yadav. They will be diverted to the Eastern and Western peripheral expressways. But vehicles with permission or carrying important cargo will be allowed to enter the national capital, he added. Interstate buses will also be allowed entry into Delhi.
However, there will be no restriction on vehicles deployed in emergency services and ambulances. Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg and Purana Qila Road will be closed for traffic. Further, except ambulances, no other vehicle – including DTC buses – will be allowed in the New Delhi area. All the malls and markets in the New Delhi area will remain shut. People going to the airport or railways station between September 8 and 10 have been advised to leave early.
The traffic police has urged people to use Delhi Metro to travel, if important, on these three days. Services of Delhi Metro will remain functional, but stations in the New Delhi area, like Supreme Court, Khan Market, Mandi House and Central Secretariat are expected to remain closed for three days.