High hopes for G-20 power talks to ease the Ukraine crisis

JAKARTA - The bar for success is low, but hopes are high that the Group of 20 (G-20) Leaders' Summit on Nov 15 and 16 in Bali, Indonesia, could be the pressure valve to ease growing tensions on various fronts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine.

As far as first-time G-20 president Indonesia is concerned, the main focus is the Covid-19 pandemic and economic recovery - in keeping with the grouping's usual purpose of discussing key issues of the global economy - not politics. But the elephant in the room will not be ignored, analysts say.

"G-20 this year is not going to be business as usual, that's for sure," said Dr Shafiah Muhibat, an international relations analyst at Jakarta-based think-tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

"There is no chance that the discussion on Ukraine could be avoided, but the escalation of tension in the room could. This is something the host could put extra effort in."

Indonesia has braced itself for this, even as it tries to maintain neutrality.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan told The Straits Times in an interview on Monday that Indonesia stands "ready to be a bridge between powers" by facilitating dialogues among leaders.

But he also called for calm, given the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the conflict, which has sparked global food shortages and surges in commodity prices.

"Everybody should calm down in order to avoid a catastrophic (global) economy in the years to come, otherwise it could jeopardise millions and millions of people globally," he said. "Don't go humiliating other countries or the other way around."