It is still unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the G20 summit in Miami in December. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged against drawing premature conclusions on the matter, despite the fact that the United States has officially invited the Russian leader.
„I would not rush that far ahead. We know that such trips are always associated with major logistical difficulties and problems“, Peskov said.
He recalled that the Russian delegation had travelled by plane for nine hours to Geneva for trilateral talks on the conflict in Ukraine, even though the distance was relatively short. According to him, numerous circumstances must be taken into account when planning such a visit.
Moscow expects a decision at the last moment
The invitation to Putin was delivered in September by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Washington expressed hope that the Russian president would accept it, but Moscow has still not announced an official response.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said that the country would actively participate in the summit and be represented at a high level. At the same time, he clarified that the composition of the delegation had not yet been determined.
„Usually, such a decision is made by us and by our colleagues on the eve“, Pankin said.The G20 summit is scheduled for 14 and 15 December in Miami. The information about Russia's participation and Pankin's position was also confirmed by TASS.
Is a Putin-Trump-Zelensky meeting possible
Miami is also being considered as a possible venue for talks between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has entertained the possibility of such a meeting, but has stressed that Moscow and Washington have not officially confirmed such a format.
Zelensky has described the potential talks as a possible significant step towards de-escalation. US President Donald Trump has also entertained the possibility of the Ukrainian leader attending the forum, but no official invitation has yet been extended to him.
Meanwhile, Kyiv said that Russia's presence was important to the significance of the summit. Davyd Arakhamia, chairman of the parliamentary group of the „Servant of the People“ party, said that Ukraine was not interested in „just sitting“ at the G20 without Russia.
„What would the topic be then? I believe it is important for Russia to be present“, Arakhamia said.According to him, a number of issues would have to be coordinated and a basis for negotiations prepared in order to hold a trilateral meeting. At present, the only confirmed fact is that Russia intends to participate in the G20, while Putin's attendance and a possible trilateral format remain unresolved.