The question of whether Vladimir Putin could travel to Manchester for the 2027 G20 meeting has received a clear answer from Britain’s prime minister. Andy Burnham says the Russian president will not be there, with sanctions continuing to prevent his participation in the gathering of world leaders.
During an interview with The Economist, Burnham was questioned about how the Russian president would be treated when Britain hosts the meeting next November. He ruled out Putin’s presence but pointed out that the British government does not independently decide which countries receive invitations to G20 events.
That responsibility belongs to the organization, Burnham explained. Even with Russia remaining a member, restrictions affecting senior figures in Moscow would prevent Putin from participating in the Manchester meeting.
Russia’s place in the G20 has remained unchanged since its military invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Normally, the country organizing the annual summit sends invitations to the other participating governments, making the situation involving Putin more complicated than a simple decision about the guest list.
Britain’s response to the war has included limits on communication between government officials. Those restrictions have continued under several prime ministers, with London avoiding direct ministerial meetings involving Russian representatives.
Washington has made a different choice about Russia’s involvement in international meetings. The American government has included Putin among those invited to its December G20 event, which President Donald Trump plans to hold at his golf club in Miami.
The invitation was discussed publicly in September by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said the gathering could provide an occasion for Putin to speak with Trump and other national leaders. The Russian president’s attendance would depend on whether he accepts.
Disagreements about dealing with Moscow have also affected the way G20 officials interact during meetings. One recent gathering of foreign ministers was supposed to include a photograph of the participants, but the arrangement was abandoned after objections involving the presence of Russia’s Sergey Lavrov.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was among the officials unwilling to participate in the picture. He has separately indicated that Britain’s existing limits on government contact with Russia will remain, regardless of decisions made by American officials.
Burnham also discussed another country whose leader could visit Manchester in 2027. He would welcome the opportunity to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and continue conversations about relations between Britain and China.
The two have a previous connection through Xi’s trip to Manchester in 2015. Burnham remembered discussing that visit with the Chinese president and said Xi had spoken positively about the city. He expects a returning visitor would notice how much Manchester has changed.
Some of that development has involved Chinese partnerships. Burnham also spoke favorably about Keir Starmer’s trip to China earlier this year, believing the visit helped create opportunities for further discussions between the governments.
Artificial intelligence could become one of the subjects addressed during those talks. Burnham wants countries to consider common approaches to AI oversight, though he recognizes the difficulty of securing agreement between Washington and Beijing.
The United States has concerns about restrictions that might weaken its technology companies against Chinese competitors. Burnham believes Britain’s AI Security Institute, established under Rishi Sunak in 2023, could help with future discussions about international standards.
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