The key facts
- Merz expressed readiness to speak with Putin in person on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Miami
- The summit will take place on December 14–15; Putin's participation has not been confirmed
- Russian Foreign Ministry: the decision on the trip has not yet been made; the format will depend on the situation and the agenda
Merz is ready for contact with Putin
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he is ready to speak in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin, if he comes to the December G20 summit in Miami. 'The German Chancellor, too, must at some point talk to Putin. As far as we know, President Trump has invited him to the summit. He has not yet confirmed his participation, but if he is there, I will not shy away from the opportunity to talk,' Life.ru quotes him as saying. The G20 summit is scheduled for December 14–15; Moscow has not yet announced whether Putin will travel to the United States.
Russia's participation remains in question
US President Donald Trump sent the invitation to the Russian leader, but a final decision on the trip has not been made. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the United States is indeed interested in Putin's participation in the summit; in Moscow they explained that in determining the format of participation they will take into account the international situation, the agenda of the meeting, and the prospects for productive negotiations. Thus, at this point only the invitation itself has been confirmed, not the visit.
Context of German-Russian contacts
Merz's statement is consistent with his earlier position: previously he advocated for Volodymyr Zelensky's participation in negotiations on the sidelines of the G20 if the Ukrainian conflict were discussed there, insisting that such issues cannot be resolved without representatives of Kyiv and European countries, and he called for using all diplomatic opportunities for a peace agreement. Contacts between the diplomatic services of the two countries have already resumed: in September, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. All the information given is based on a Life.ru publication; there are no independent confirmations from other sources in this material.
