Berlin on Putin G20 invite: Russia relations not back to normal

The German government has "taken note" of the US invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December, a spokesman said on Thursday as Berlin insisted relations have not reverted to normal as war rages in Ukraine. 

"We also note that President Putin has not yet decided on the invitation," German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told dpa in response to a query.

"For the German government, there is nothing normal about relations with Russia given the war in Ukraine," Kornelius said. Preparations for the summit are under way, "including on this issue," he added, noting that the German government was coordinating closely with its partners.

His statements come a day after Washington invited Putin to the summit following years of absence. 

Announcing the invite, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "We think it's an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders. We hope that's an invitation he'll accept." 

Russia remains a member of the G20 group of major industrialized and emerging economies, which comprises 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union. 

However, Putin last attended a G20 summit in person in 2019, before launching Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow as yet undecided

The European Commission said that, as a member of the G20, Russia had the right to attend G20 meetings. But a spokesman did not answer when a journalist asked whether commission President Ursula von der Leyen was prepared to be present in the same room as Putin. 

"We will see how the situation develops, and we may be able to say more at a later date," he noted.

Moscow appreciated the invitation, a spokesman said. It would be examined, discussed and a decision taken accordingly. 

"It is premature to discuss this now; the decision has not yet been made," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian news agencies. Either way, he added, Russia intended to continue its participation in the work of the G20 and all its forums.

The G20 is the group of major industrialized and emerging economies. However, Putin last attended a summit in person in 2019 - that is, before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The G20 comprises 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union.