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Burnham won’t follow Trump in actively inviting Putin to G20
Confirmed
In Short: Burnham's stance on Putin's exclusion reflects the diplomatic tensions following European diplomats' refusal to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the recent G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told The Economist in an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be invited to the G20 summit in Manchester in 2027 due to sanctions against senior Russian figures.
Burnham's decision contrasts with US President Donald Trump's controversial move to invite Putin to the G20 summit in Miami this December.
Burnham emphasized that the UK's sanctions against Russia would prevent Putin from attending the Manchester summit, stating, “No, he will not be coming because of an outstanding sanction.”
The UK last hosted the G20 summit in 2009. Next year's event will take place in Manchester and will focus on reinforcing global economic stability and benefiting people across the UK.
Burnham also highlighted the importance of working with Chinese President Xi Jinping on AI safety regulations, noting a “real opportunity” for future UK-China economic collaboration.
The Kremlin has not yet confirmed whether Putin will attend any major global summit, as he has not participated in such events since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Burnham's interview with The Economist also touched on the UK's economic challenges, with Britain’s chancellor unveiling the first budget of the Andy Burnham era.
Burnham stressed the need for global agreements on AI, saying, “If we don't, the risks of recent times will magnify, they will significantly intensify.”
The UK government aims to use its G20 presidency to address global economic stability and benefit people in every part of the UK, according to Burnham.
What this adds
Burnham's decision not to invite Putin to the G20 summit in 2027 underscores the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the UK and Russia.
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."
- "So you've got to go into it with that aim." His decision not to include Putin in next year's gathering in Manchester comes after European diplomats refused to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in October.
- 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.
- When the magazine asked if the British government could bring the United States and China together to agree on supervision of artificial intelligence, Burnham said he isn't sure.
- "Let me say this directly to the Russian foreign minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is," Miliband said at the summit.
- He clarified that the G20 makes the guest list, but that the British sanctions won't allow Putin into the country.