The atrocities committed by Russian forces on the people of Ukraine, now fighting off an unprovoked invasion that has entered its ninth week, can only be viewed with repugnance.
By now, the entire world has seen shocking images of mass graves of unarmed civilians—including the elderly, women and children—slaughtered by the Russian invaders. We have seen the fallout of the deliberate Russian rocket attacks on hospitals, schools and apartment buildings. We have seen the bodies of civilians shot in the back of the head with their hands tied behind their backs.
The Russian depravity is matched by its sheer arrogance, exemplified by its missile attack last week on Kyiv, just as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived at the Ukrainian capital for talks.
Guterres and his team were not hurt, but the UN leader said the attack, which left at least one person dead and 10 others wounded, left him stunned.
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, had a more colorful take on the missile attack, saying this was Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s way of giving “his middle finger” to the UN secretary-general and the West over his war in Ukraine.
An analyst with a Kyiv-based think-tank, Volodymr Fesenko, says the missile attack was a clear signal from Moscow about Russia’s intention to continue the war despite international pressure.
“With this missile strike, the Kremlin is sending a warning to all international structures and organizations trying to influence or contain Russia’s aggressive military plans,” Fesenko said. “While Russia has so far failed to score any significant gains in Ukraine, it intends to continue its offensive and keep striking cities with missiles.”
Against this backdrop, it is inexplicable that Indonesia, the current president of the G-20, has invited Putin to attend the group’s summit in Bali in November. Perhaps as a bone to the United States and the European Union, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend, even though Ukraine is not a G-20 member. The Indonesian president said the leaders of both countries have accepted invitations to the summit in November—but it is difficult to imagine Putin and Zelenskyy seated at the same summit, while Russia wages an illegal and inhuman war in Ukraine.
Widodo said the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have an impact on the recovery of the global economy and it was in this context that he invited Putin and Zelenskyy to the summit in separate calls with them.
“I expressed my hope that the war can end soon and a peaceful solution through talks can progress,” he said in a speech. “We understand that G-20 can be a catalyst for global economic recovery.”
But like others who seek to appease Putin, the Indonesian president is misreading the room. Putin clearly has no desire for peace without the complete capitulation of Ukraine, and people who do not see this might be mistaking Putin’s middle finger for a peace sign.