Kallas criticizes possible Putin attendance at G20 summit in Miami
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warns that inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in the US could help legitimize Russia's return to international forums while the war in Ukraine continues. She also welcomed the US decision to sell Patriot systems to Ukraine.
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has criticized the US decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami. The G20 is a group of the world's largest economies. In Kallas's view, Putin's participation in the December meeting could create a risk of legitimizing Russia's return to international forums while the war in Ukraine continues. The Ukrainian agency UNIAN reported her remarks, citing Bloomberg.
Concerns over normalizing war crimes
Kallas stressed that the Kremlin keeps waging war and that Russian officials show no sign of wanting to stop the aggression. She said the invitation raises many serious questions and risks normalizing war crimes that, she said, are committed in Ukraine every day.
Commenting on the recent G20 foreign ministers' meeting in the US, attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, she said Lavrov showed no readiness for peace talks. Kallas believes the Kremlin's real intentions are shown by actions, not words. If Russia wanted peace, she said, it would first stop killing civilians. She also noted that July, August and September were among the bloodiest months of the war for civilians.
Patriot systems and a call to Europe
Kallas approved of Washington's decision to sell Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine. At the same time, she opposed US pressure on NATO allies to soften their statements about the Russian threat. "If we don't talk about the threat, it won't disappear," she said.
She urged Europeans to invest more in defense and to cut off the money Russia uses to fund the war. Kallas also warned Ukraine's allies against steps that might suggest to Moscow that their ranks are divided. In her view, Russia believes that "time is on its side", so it makes no concessions in negotiations and waits for the West to offer them.
Summit details
The G20 summit will take place on 14–15 December 2026 in Miami, Florida. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an official invitation has been sent to Putin. Washington hopes he will come and be able to speak with Donald Trump and other leaders. The Kremlin confirmed receiving the invitation but has said nothing definite about Putin attending in person. Trump later said he would gladly invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Miami summit as well.
