Why Putin is staying away

The last time Russian President Vladimir Putin found himself isolated at a G20 summit was in 2014, soon after he seized Crimea -- and he was so shunned that he left early.

Eight years later, after launching a full-scale offensive in Ukraine in February and threatening the West with nuclear weapons, the 70-year-old Russian leader chose to skip this week's G20 meeting on the tropical island of Bali altogether.

Observers say the Kremlin is seeking to shield the Russian leader from a storm of condemnation in Indonesia but Putin's no-show risks further isolating a country already battered by unprecedented Western sanctions.

Alexei Malashenko, chief researcher at the Dialogue of Civilisations Institute, said Putin did not want to be publicly humiliated once again, recalling that at the Brisbane summit in 2014 Putin was placed at the far flank of the traditional family photo.

"At the summit, you have to talk to people and be photographed," said Malashenko. "And who is he going to talk to and how exactly will he be photographed?"

The G20 gathering will inevitably be overshadowed by Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, which has shocked global energy markets and aggravated food shortages.

Fyodor Lukyanov, a foreign policy expert, indicated that Putin was not ready to budge over Ukraine.

"His position is well known, it will not change," said Lukyanov, editor of the Russia in Global Affairs journal. "What's the point of going?"