Home · World · Nov 5 archive
Burnham Rules Out Putin at G20, Contrasts with Trump's Invitation
· Confirmed
In Short: BBC reported that Burnham emphasized the need to maintain global stability and noted that the UK's decision not to invite Putin follows European diplomats' refusal to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the recent G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in October.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham told The Economist in an interview posted on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be invited to the G20 summit in Manchester in 2027, according to AzerNews and BBC. Burnham cited sanctions against senior Russian figures as the reason for Putin's exclusion.
BBC reported that Burnham emphasized the need to maintain global stability and noted that the UK's decision not to invite Putin follows European diplomats' refusal to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the recent G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in October. AzerNews, however, did not mention this specific diplomatic incident.
UPI reported that Burnham was asked by The Economist if Putin would be able to attend, and he responded that the British sanctions would prevent Putin from entering the country. This aligns with the BBC's report that the guest list is handled by the G20, but Russia would not be present due to sanctions.
Politico.eu noted that President Donald Trump sparked controversy by inviting Putin to the G20 summit in Miami this December. This contrasts with Burnham's stance, as the UK will not extend an invitation to Putin in 2027.
Burnham told The Economist that he is keen to host Chinese President Xi Jinping after Xi's visit to Manchester in 2015. He sees a 'real opportunity' for future U.K.-China economic collaboration, according to Politico.eu and BBC.
UPI reported that Burnham was also asked about the possibility of bringing the United States and China together to agree on supervision of artificial intelligence. He responded that he is not sure if this can be achieved, reflecting the complexity of international cooperation on AI.
Despite the differences in reporting details, all outlets agree that Burnham will not invite Putin to the 2027 G20 summit in Manchester due to sanctions against Russia. This decision contrasts with Trump's controversial invitation to Putin for the 2022 summit in Miami.
What's confirmed
- United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham told The Economist in an interview posted on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be invited to the G20 summit, which is set to be held in the UK next year.
- Burnham also told the Economist he’s keen to host Xi Jinping after the Chinese president visited Manchester in 2015, and said there’s a “real opportunity” for future U.K.-China economic collaboration after his predecessor Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing earlier this year.
What's still developing
- "the pendulum has swung away from populism."
- Putin has not attended any major global summit since he launched his invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine.
- The Kremlin has not yet said whether Putin will attend.
- Britain’s chancellor unveils first budget of the Andy Burnham era — as watchdog reveals decade-long pressure on living standards.
- This story has been updated to reflect a full transcript of Burnham’s interview with The Economist.
- "As I sit here today, that feels challenging, but we've got to hold out the need to find global agreements on AI," Burnham said.
- Integer consectetur quam eget ipsum dictum accumsan.
- Donec non lectus id risus rutrum ullamcorper sit amet vel nulla.