Vladimir Putin could skip G20 summit in Indonesia over fears another foreign leader intends to ‘slap him in the face’ over Ukraine war, opposition Telegram channel claims

• Putin was allegedly told by intelligence report he’d be slapped at G20 summit 
• The General SVR Telegram channel claims to have sources inside the Kremlin
• It alleged that Putin will also refuse to attend summit due to assassination fears 
• The G20 summit is set to take place on November 15 and 16 and will see world leaders convene in the Indonesian province of Bali

Vladimir Putin is likely not to attend the G20 summit in Bali because his spies have told him a foreign leader intends to ‘slap him in the face’ over the war in Ukraine, it was claimed today.

The Russian president has not yet said whether he will attend the conference next week, but is unlikely to fly to Indonesia.

But a Telegram channel which purports to have sources in the Kremlin sensationally claimed today the Russian leader had been told in a foreign intelligence report that one unnamed G20 attendee aimed ‘to hit him in the face with an open palm in a personal meeting’.

This leader was intent on ‘demonstrating his attitude towards him as a war criminal and scoundrel’.

‘This person said, quite openly in his circle, that he was ready to seek a personal meeting with Putin at the summit, even bypassing the protocol,’ said the post.

‘The information was presented to Putin as unambiguously corresponding to reality, intentions and plans, confirmed by several sources… Putin is not ready to risk being humiliated by receiving a public slap in the face.’

The G20 summit will take place on November 15 and 16 and will see world leaders convene in the Indonesian province of Bali. 

Vladimir Putin is likely not to attend the G20 summit in Bali because his spies have told him a foreign leader intends to ‘slap him in the face’ over the war in Ukraine, it was claimed today

A woman walks past a logo of the G20 Summit, in Jakarta on November 8, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indonesian President Joko Widodo attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia June 30, 2022

Indonesian military personel take part in a security drill for the upcoming G20 meeting in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, 08 November 2022. Bali will host the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Heads of State and Government Summit from 15 to 16 November 2022

The accusation was made by the General SVR Telegram channel which has regularly claimed that Putin is suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease and a schizoaffective disorder.

It takes its name from the Russian SVR foreign intelligence agency, once known as the KGB.

Its claims cannot be verified but it was among the first to report in advance the shape of Putin’s disastrous mobilisation strategy, and claims about his cancer.

It is reportedly authored by an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general, known by the alias Viktor Mikhailovich.

The channel did not explain why Putin, a black-belt in judo and a practitioner of several martial arts, could not deal with any foreign leader seeking to slap him.

It comes as British premier Rishi Sunak said the UK and its allies must ‘confront’ Putin if the Russian president does attend the summit. 

Indonesian leader Joko Widodo, whose nation is set to host the summit, has resisted pressure from Kyiv and the West to disinvite Putin due to his invasion of sovereign state Ukraine.

He said that Putin had not ruled out attending ‘but maybe he’ll ask to do it virtually’.

The Financial Times newspaper quoted the Jakarta leader as saying that a conversation with Putin had left him with a ‘strong impression’ he would not attend.

Indonesia has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attend the G20 summit. The Ukrainian leader will most likely attend the summit virtually, his spokesperson told the Suspilne public broadcaster on Tuesday (Zelensky pictured with US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Nov 8)

British premier Rishi Sunak (pictured right with French president Emmanuel Macron) said the UK and its allies must ‘confront’ Putin if the Russian president does attend the summit

Indonesian police take part during security preparation for the upcoming G20 Summit Meeting in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on November 7, 2022

Indonesia also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who will most likely attend the summit virtually, his spokesperson told the Suspilne public broadcaster on Tuesday.

Zelensky had said last week he would not take part if Putin attended the conference. 

In addition to the claims a foreign leader was preparing to slap the Russian president, the General SVR channel also said that Putin was concerned by an increased assassination risk if he were to attend the G20 summit.

‘It is impossible in Bali to provide a proper level, at least close comparable with those measures that are organised in Russia,’ a post claimed.

‘The risk of becoming an object of assassination increases significantly.

‘But even this is not stopping the President of Russia now – and does not make it possible to make a decision on participation in the summit.’

The ‘real reason’ for his hesitancy about flying to Bali was the humiliation of being publicly slapped, the channel concluded.

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