According to UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband, the country will not lift its ban on direct interactions with Russian officials. He emphasized that the United States must make its own decisions regarding the invitation of President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami, but the UK will not follow suit.
“We have long adhered to a policy of not engaging in direct contacts at my level with Russians since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. We are not changing this policy,” Milliband stated.
This stance reflects the UK’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, as Milliband noted that different nations make varying decisions on such matters.
Milliband also confirmed that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will attend the G20 summit later this year. Meanwhile, the British Foreign Secretary declined to comment on the United States’ participant decisions for the meeting.
Context
- On September 23, the U.S. proposed inviting Putin to the G20 summit. Secretary of State Mark Rubio stated that Putin’s participation would allow him to interact not only with the President but also with other world leaders. The Kremlin expressed gratitude for the invitation but stated it had not yet made a decision regarding participation in the summit.
