The key facts
- The G20 summit will take place December 14–15 in Miami; the invitation was delivered in September
- The Kremlin does not rule out Putin's personal participation; no final decision has been made
- The matter will be discussed after the APEC summit on November 18–19 in Shenzhen
The Kremlin has not yet ruled out Putin's trip to Miami
Kremlin pool correspondent Alexander Yunashev suggested, that Russian President Vladimir Putin may personally attend the G20 summit scheduled for December 14–15 in Miami. He laid out his observation in his Telegram channel 'Yunashev LIVE': in his view, if Moscow had definitively declined the trip, this would already have been officially announced, yet instead of a categorical refusal the Kremlin continues to emphasize that the question remains open. 'There is a feeling that the president is, after all, seriously considering the possibility of personally attending the G20 summit,' Yunashev wrote.
How the invitation was delivered and what Moscow said in response
The invitation to the Russian president was officially delivered in September. At the time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington was counting on Putin's arrival, since the summit could serve as a venue for talks between the Russian leader not only with Donald Trump but also with the heads of other states. The Kremlin responded positively to the initiative but gave no definitive answer: press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed on October 22 that no decision on the trip had yet been made and that the invitation would be considered in light of all circumstances, while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed that the final word would rest with Putin himself.
A fork in the road after APEC and disagreements in the West
An additional fork in the road is created by the APEC summit in China's Shenzhen on November 18–19: presidential aide Yuri Ushakov explained that the question of the trip to Miami would be substantively discussed after the November meeting, and acknowledged that further plans may depend on its outcomes. Not everyone shares Yunashev's optimism, however: back in September, Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with Moscow's plans, reported that Putin's personal participation in the American summit appeared unlikely — though no official confirmation of a refusal has followed.
The political sensitivity of the visit
The possible visit has already caused disagreements among Western politicians. As Life.ru reported, the EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas, in an interview with Bloomberg, spoke out against inviting Putin to the G20, expressing concern that the Russian leader's participation could facilitate the restoration of the usual diplomatic contacts with Moscow amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The reaction was also mixed at the recent meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta: because of Sergei Lavrov's presence, participants declined the traditional group photo, although German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he did not intend to avoid being photographed with his Russian counterpart, since diplomacy involves engagement even amid serious disagreements. Secretary of State Rubio, for his part, continues to insist on the need for dialogue with Russia. Thus, the question of the trip remains not only logistical but also politically sensitive for the summit's participants.
