The US is hoping for G20 action in Ukraine despite Russia’s presence

The United States believes the Group of 20 talks in Bali can make progress on the Ukraine crisis despite Russia’s participation, a senior official said Thursday.

Foreign Minister Antony Blinken is expected to arrive on the Indonesian resort island for talks at the Club of Big Economies on Thursday – with the foreign ministry saying he will not meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

A senior US official expected that “virtually all G20 countries” would agree to initiatives to address global food insecurity and energy volatility sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The official acknowledged that joint G20 statements on Ukraine are impossible due to Russia’s involvement.

“Whether or not the G20 endorses something as a unit is less important than whether most, if not all, G20 countries are putting their weight behind something we are trying to do,” the official told reporters at the refueling stop in Tokyo.

“You will see that if necessary, we will be able to make clear Russia’s responsibility for some of the issues that the G20 will deal with,” he said.

Though he shuns Russia, Blinken will meet separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday to address high tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

The official said he doesn’t expect a much-anticipated announcement on whether President Joe Biden will ease tariffs on China, which he says is an issue for the US Trade Representative’s office.

Blinken’s talks with Wang are among a series of recent engagements between the United States and China, which included a meeting between the two powers’ defense chiefs in Singapore last month.

Host Indonesia has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit later this year despite US-led efforts to isolate him.

But in a compromise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also invited.