UK to keep barring direct contact with Russian officials despite US inviting Putin to G20

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, responding to the US administration's decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami, said the UK will not change its long-standing policy against direct contact with Russian officials. He made the remarks at a Politico event, according to "European Pravda".

Miliband said the United States is entitled to make its own decision about inviting Putin to the summit planned for later this year, but stressed that Britain is unlikely to follow the same path next year. He noted that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK has maintained a policy of refusing direct contact at his level with Russian representatives, and that this policy will not change.

Asked whether more active engagement with Moscow would be a positive step, the minister said the US decision partly reflects a wish to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people, adding that different countries make different decisions on these matters.

Miliband confirmed that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will attend the Miami summit later this year, but declined to speculate on what decisions would be made regarding the list of invitees.

Germany's position

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Putin's participation in the G20 meeting could mark the start of "serious negotiations" on ending Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said the G20 summit in Miami could serve as a venue for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the US and Russia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that Putin would attend the G20 leaders' summit, set to take place in Miami this December.