Russian president Vladimir Putin has not yet decided whether he will attend the upcoming G20 summit in the United States, the Kremlin said on Thursday, following reports that Russia had received a formal invitation.
Speaking to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that no final decision had been made regarding Putin’s participation. “No such decisions have been made yet,” he said in response to a question about the December meeting.
According to Russian state media, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said that Russia had been invited to the summit “at the highest level.” The event is scheduled to take place in Miami on December 14th–15th and will bring together leaders of the world’s major economies.
Putin has not attended a G20 summit in person since 2019. His absence in recent years was initially due to the coronavirus pandemic and later linked to the war in Ukraine in 2022.
Since then, Russia has faced a range of international sanctions and a reduction in diplomatic engagement with Western countries. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in connection with the war, which has affected his international travel to certain countries.
The United States, however, is not a member of the court. Putin previously travelled to Alaska in August for a bilateral meeting with U.S. president Donald Trump.
