Vadeful called the invitation to the G20 summit a test for Putin
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin's potential participation in the G20 summit would show how ready the Kremlin is for serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. He emphasized that a practical sign of such readiness would be a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Wadephul called the invitation to the G20 summit a test for Putin
According to DW, Wadephul said this on Friday, September 25, in Ottawa during a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. He assessed the US invitation to Putin to the G20 summit in December as a special test for the Russian leader.
The German Foreign Minister recalled that Berlin and Ukraine's other Western allies have repeatedly called on the Russian government, including Putin personally, to the negotiating table. According to him, Russia's readiness for result-oriented negotiations can be assessed by a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Responding to the question of whether the G20 summit should be boycotted if Putin continues military actions, Wadephul noted that Russia's participation in the event is currently only a possibility. He urged to wait and see how the situation develops in the coming weeks.
"Russia must negotiate - the sooner, the better," said the German Foreign Minister.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand also stated that Putin's potential participation in the summit would not be a reason for a boycott. She said that diplomacy requires remaining at the negotiating table and continuing dialogue on complex issues.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Putin had been invited to the G20 summit to be held in Miami in December. Rubio noted that this visit could allow the Russian president to hold negotiations with US President Donald Trump, as well as other heads of state and government. The Kremlin has not yet decided how to respond to the invitation.
Meanwhile, according to The Washington Post, 14 bipartisan members of the US Senate have called on Trump to withdraw the invitation sent to Putin.
In their appeal to the White House leader, Republicans and Democrats emphasized that Putin is personally responsible for Russia launching a full-scale war against Ukraine. They stated that while strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine continue, the Russian leader's participation in the summit in the US risks granting international legitimacy to the Russian government and normalizing relations with it.
The senators also recalled that Putin and other representatives of the Russian delegation are under American sanctions for actions that Washington assesses as a threat to US national security.