UK breaks with Trump because it refuses to ask Putin to G20

World

By Linda Ikeji
6 November 2026, 4:26 am

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t attend the G20 summit in Manchester in November 2027, citing sanctions in opposition to senior Russian figures. Asked by The Economist whether or not Putin could be invited, Burnham replied: “No.” He stated preparations for the visitor listing have been “handled by the G20” however maintained that Putin “will not be coming because of an outstanding sanction”.

His remarks distinction with US President Donald Trump’s determination to ask Putin to this 12 months’s G20 summit in Miami in December. The Kremlin has not confirmed whether or not the Russian president will attend. Britain has maintained a coverage in opposition to direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband beforehand stated the UK would retain that place, whereas acknowledging that Washington may make its personal choices about invites. Tensions over Russia’s participation have been evident on the G20 international ministers’ assembly in October, when a deliberate group {photograph} was cancelled after European representatives, together with Miliband, refused to pose alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Addressing Lavrov throughout the assembly, Miliband stated: “Let me say this directly to the Russian foreign minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is.” Russia stays a member of the G20, which includes 19 nations, the European Union and the African Union. Ukraine isn’t a member, though the warfare has featured prominently at current summits. The UK has remained a powerful supporter of Ukraine beneath successive prime ministers because the invasion.

Burnham additionally advised The Economist that he wished to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to Manchester, which Xi visited in 2015. He stated there was a “real opportunity” to strengthen financial cooperation following former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s go to to Beijing earlier this 12 months. The prime minister recognized synthetic intelligence security as one other potential space for cooperation, saying the summit may present a chance to pursue worldwide agreements with China.

Asked whether or not Britain may convey the United States and China collectively to agree on international AI oversight, Burnham acknowledged the problem. “As I sit here today, that feels challenging, but we’ve got to hold out the need to find global agreements on AI,” he stated. “If we don’t, the risks of recent times will magnify, they will significantly intensify. So you’ve got to go into it with that aim.”

The two-day summit will happen on the Manchester Central Convention Centre, bringing collectively world leaders and 1000’s of diplomats and delegates. It would be the first time Britain has hosted the gathering since 2009. The authorities says its 2027 G20 presidency will concentrate on strengthening international financial stability and delivering advantages throughout the UK.