Putin's invitation to the G20: London refuses direct contacts with the Russian Federation

28.09.2026, 23:53◉ 12 min readEditorial team “SHCHO STALOSIA”

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on Monday that London would not lift the policy of banning direct contacts with Russian officials at the level of foreign ministers after Donald Trump invited Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in December. Ukrinform.

Putin's invitation to the G20: London refuses direct contacts with the Russian Federation

“We have a long-standing policy of avoiding direct contact at my level with the Russians since the invasion of Ukraine. We are not changing this policy, "Miliband said, answering the question whether increased interaction with Moscow is a positive phenomenon.

He added that in Britain, this decision is partly due to the demonstration of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, but, according to him, "different countries make different decisions on this issue."

As Ukrinform reported, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States had invited Putin to the G20 summit.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed the opinion that the G20 summit could become a platform for an effective trilateral meeting of Ukraine, the United States and Russia.

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The minister noted that the United States should "make its own decisions" about inviting the Russian leader to the summit in Miami at the end of this year, but stressed that next year the UK will have its own position on such issues. In 2027, the country will preside over the G20, and the leaders' summit will be held in Manchester.

The UK Foreign Secretary also confirmed that Prime Minister Andy Burnham would attend the G20 summit in Miami this year, but refused to predict who exactly would be invited.