Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he will not be attending the 18th G20 summit in New Delhi, which is set to be hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 9 and 10. This news comes as Putin's main focus remains on the ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

🇷🇺🇮🇳 Putin will NOT travel to India for the G20 Summit pic.twitter.com/rCA03qcLsw

— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) August 25, 2023

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated that the format of Putin's participation will be determined at a later date. This decision makes Putin the first foreign leader to confirm that he will not be physically present at the summit. The G20 summit has already been overshadowed by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with none of the G20 ministerial meetings hosted by India resulting in a consensus on outcome documents. Russia and China objected to paragraphs that condemned Russia's war against Ukraine and its impact on the global economy. As a result, India had to issue chair's summaries at the end of the meetings. Now, uncertainty looms over the joint communiqué that will be issued after the summit. Putin's absence at the summit follows his decision to also not physically attend the BRICS summit in South Africa earlier this week. The International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin denies that this was the reason for his absence, as South Africa is a signatory to the ICC, while India is not. On the other hand, several other world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have confirmed their plans to travel to New Delhi for the G20 summit. Biden's attendance is expected to focus on discussions regarding a range of global issues, including the Ukraine conflict. The G20 summit, which will take place at the newly-built Bharat Mandapam convention centre in Delhi's Pragati Maidan, will bring together officials and leaders from the world's largest economies starting from September 8. It will serve as a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil society.