The key facts

  • Peskov: it is “too early for now” to talk about Putin traveling to the G20 in Miami and meeting Merz
  • Merz said he would not avoid a conversation with Putin if he attends
  • The G20 summit will take place December 14–15 in Miami; the decision on the composition of the Russian delegation has not been made

Kremlin: too early for now

Press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov on November 9 answered a question about the possibility of Vladimir Putin traveling to the G20 summit in Miami and about possible contacts there with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “Yes. Too early for now,” TASS reports citing his words (the statement is also cited by Gazeta.Ru and Life.ru).

What Merz said and who delivered the invitation

The reason for the question was a statement by Merz himself: he said that he would not avoid a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the December summit if the Russian president attends, explaining that “in politics one has to talk even with people whose views are completely different from yours.” At the same time, the chancellor acknowledged that Putin’s participation in the summit has not yet been announced. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported the invitation to Putin, calling the summit for the Russian leader an “opportunity to talk” with the American president and other world leaders. Peskov said at the time that Moscow was grateful to Washington and would work on the matter through diplomatic channels.

What remains uncertain

The G20 summit will take place on December 14–15 in Miami. The Russian side has received the invitation, but a final decision on the composition of the delegation has not been made: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said only that the country would be represented “at a high level,” without specifying who would lead it. According to Life.ru, since Merz took office as chancellor, he and Putin have held neither in-person nor telephone talks, so a possible meeting would be their first contact. Merz has also advocated for the participation of representatives of Ukraine and European states in possible negotiations on resolving the conflict. Thus, the question of a personal meeting remains open: the invitation has been delivered, but neither Putin’s participation nor the format of contacts with Merz has yet been determined.