Singapore/Jakarta: Australia has denounced Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine during a G20 event as a push to expel Russia from this year’s summit in Bali gathers pace.

A senior Australian government official spoke up and condemned Russia’s war during a G20 digital economy forum hosted on the Indonesian island of Lombok on Tuesday at which the Kremlin was also represented.

The censure puts paid to Indonesia’s hopes of separating the conflict in Europe from the global economic agenda of the G20. According to Indonesia Minister for Communications and Information Technology Johnny Plate, there were 10 countries whose delegates excoriated the invasion of Ukraine during the conference, which was held in hybrid online form, and nine of them, including Australia, were G20 members.

The G20 rebuke was issued as Russia’s ambassador in Jakarta slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison as “driven by illogical hatred” after the Australian leader declared “the idea of sitting around a table with Vladimir Putin … for me, is a step too far”.

Russia President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in Moscow this week.Credit:Pool Sputnik Kremlin

Morrison said he had been in “direct contact” with Indonesia President Joko Widodo about Russia’s attendance at the G20, which Indonesia holds the presidency of this year.

Traditionally non-aligned, south-east Asia’s largest nation is resisting calls to rip up Putin’s invitation to the main event on its G20 calendar – the world leaders summit in Bali in November.

But Russia’s continuing involvement in G20 gatherings is invoking protests from other member nations.

Indonesia holds the G20 presidency this year and will host the leaders summit in Bali in November.Credit:Pool European Pressphoto Agency

An Australian government spokesman said Australia would “continue to stand up for the rules-based order and the values that define international forums like the G20”.

“Australia fully supports Indonesia’s G20 presidency and its aim to drive a strong, sustainable and resilient global recovery,” the spokesman said.

“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, which directly contravenes the rules-based order and the G20’s core mandate to promote global economic and financial stability.

“We continue to work closely with Indonesia and other G20 members on the question of Russia’s participation in the forum.”

The G20 was also a talking point during a phone call on Monday between Foreign Minister Marise Payne and her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.

Putin’s regime has accused the United States of pressuring other G20 members to oust Russia and China has thrown its backing behind Moscow, saying “no member has the right to remove another country as a member”.

Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Lyudmila Vorobyova, meanwhile, took aim at Morrison at an event organised by Jakarta Defence Studies on Wednesday.

“If the prime minister of Australia thinks it is impossible for him to sit in the same table with leader of another country that invades other country what about [US President Joe] Biden? Is it OK to sit with Biden or [British Prime Minister] Boris Johnson?” she said.

“There is only one country in the world that has invaded more than 25 foreign countries after World War Two. What country is that? Russia? China? No. It’s the United States.

“This kind of statement is illogical, driven by illogical hatred I would say and hysterical reaction to what’s happening in Ukraine.“

Ukraine’s ambassador to Indonesia, Vasyl Hamianin, also weighed in on the Russia-G20 debate, drawing comparison between a potential appearance of Putin in Bali and the end of World War II in Europe.

“Imagine if Hitler did not kill himself in the bunker and then in the next day or maybe the next week or month, he had been invited to participate in something like a League of Nations or G20,” he said.

“It would be humiliating to the other participants. A humiliation to peace, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, to all the principles this world is based on,” he said. “I could not imagine this might happen in the 21st century.”

Hamianin said, however, it was not his place “to lecture the leaders of the G20” or press countries such as Australia to lobby Indonesia to withdraw Putin’s invitation to Bali.

“Ukraine is very grateful to Australia, to the Australian prime minister and to the Australian foreign minister for the sanctions [against Russia], for moral support and all that,” he said.

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