Burnham says Putin is not invited to Manchester G20 summit

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that Vladimir Putin is not invited to the G20 summit in Manchester. Mr Burnham said the Russian president will not attend because of sanctions against the Kremlin, which he described as an outstanding sanction on senior Russian figures.

The G20 is a forum of 19 countries, plus the European Union and the African Union. Russia is a member, while Ukraine is not. The UK is hosting the summit in November 2027. The two-day event will take place at the Manchester Central Convention Centre, in the city centre. The UK last hosted the G20 in 2009.

Separately, US President Donald Trump has invited Mr Putin to the G20 meeting in Miami in December. The Kremlin, the Russian government's office, has not said whether Mr Putin will attend the Miami event.

The UK has had a policy of no direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Mr Putin has not attended any major global summit since launching that invasion.

The tension was visible at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in October. European diplomats refused to stand for an official photo with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Mr Lavrov at the summit: "We all know who the aggressor in this war is."

Mr Burnham said the 2027 G20 would give the UK a real opportunity to work with Chinese President Xi Jinping on safety regulations for artificial intelligence. The UK government said it will use its G20 presidency to reinforce global economic stability and benefit people in every part of the UK.

The UK has sanctioned more than 3,200 individuals and entities under its Russia sanctions regime, according to HM Treasury's annual report.