In a significant turn of events at the virtual Group of 20 leaders' summit hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, key figures such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden were notably absent.
This information comes courtesy of European Pravda, referencing a report by Bloomberg.
China's Foreign Ministry confirmed that instead of President Xi, Premier Li Qian would represent the nation at the G20 video summit. Meanwhile, the United States also chose not to send its top leader, with President Biden skipping the summit.
The absence of these world leaders from the summit marks a conspicuous gap in the meeting, particularly given the global importance of the G20, which includes the world's largest economies.
This year, the summit holds added significance as it coincides with the conclusion of India's presidency of the G20.
Prime Minister Modi, in his one-year term that ends this month, has leveraged the position to bolster India's growing global influence, a critical move ahead of national elections next year where Modi will seek a third term.
nterestingly, the G20 summit follows closely on the heels of another significant meeting - a virtual gathering of emerging market leaders, which was attended by Xi Jinping but skipped by Modi.
This meeting focused on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as reported by Indian media.
Despite the absences, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated in a briefing on Tuesday that the "vast majority" of G20 leaders would participate in Wednesday's video meeting.
On the other side, the Kremlin confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin's participation, who will address the gathering.
The dynamics of this year's G20 summit underscore the shifting global political landscape, with major powers expressing their stances through presence or absence at such crucial international gatherings.
