Poland: Navrocki will avoid any contact with Putin at G20 summit
A Polish presidential aide said he cannot imagine a handshake between President Karol Navrocki and Vladimir Putin at December's G20 summit in Miami. Poland will do everything possible to prevent such interaction.
The head of the Polish president's international policy office, Marcin Przydacz, said he cannot imagine any contact between President Karol Navrocki and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit. The statement was reported by Onet and cited by Ukrainska Pravda.
This year's G20 summit will take place on December 14–15 in Miami, Florida, hosted by US President Donald Trump. Poland has been invited as a guest country, with President Navrocki set to represent it.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States had also invited Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the December summit. Przydacz acknowledged that Poland is unhappy about this, but noted that an invitation does not guarantee attendance — Putin has also been invited to UN summits in the past without showing up.
Possible response
Asked what the Presidential Palace would do if Putin did travel to Miami, Przydacz said Poland would react once it becomes clear Putin intends to attend, and would consult with allies. He noted that the G20 format was established 30 years ago and Russia is part of it, but argued that Putin, as a criminal, should be prosecuted rather than invited.
On the possibility of a handshake with Putin, Przydacz said any contact with the Russian leader carries risk, including physical risk, and that he cannot envision any such interaction. He added that the Presidential Palace would do everything to prevent a situation where Putin attempts to shake Navrocki's hand. The minister recalled that Navrocki is on a list of people wanted by Putin, meaning any attempt at contact would be doomed to fail. He stressed that world leaders should not sit at the same table as the Russian president, who he believes should be isolated at international forums.
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 has previously suggested the G20 summit in Miami could serve as a platform for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the US and Russia.
