UK will not soften stance on Russia despite US decision to invite Putin to G20
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said London will keep its ban on direct contacts with Russian officials, even as the US plans to invite Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami. He stressed that Washington's choices are its own to make.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, speaking at a Politico event, addressed the US administration's decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 leaders' summit set to take place in Miami this December. Miliband said the United States is entitled to make its own decisions about summit invitations, but stressed that the UK is unlikely to follow the same approach next year.
The minister recalled that Britain has maintained a long-standing policy of avoiding direct contacts at his level with Russian officials since the invasion of Ukraine, and said this policy will not change. Asked whether greater engagement with Moscow could be seen as a positive step, Miliband noted that the US decision was partly driven by a wish to demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people, adding that different countries make different choices on such matters.
Burnham to attend the summit
Miliband confirmed that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will take part in the December summit in Miami, but declined to speculate on what the final decisions regarding the guest list would be.
German position and wider context
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that Putin's participation in the G20 meeting could mark the start of "serious negotiations" on ending Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Miami G20 summit 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 in Miami this December.
