Germany welcomes Trump’s move to invite Putin to G20

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami, saying the invitation could provide an opportunity to establish whether Moscow is genuinely prepared to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

Speaking during a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Ottawa on Friday, Wadephul said the invitation should be viewed as a test of Putin’s willingness to engage in negotiations.

“This invitation, which any presidency can extend, will be a litmus test for Vladimir Putin to see whether he is prepared to negotiate in good faith,” Wadephul said.

“Opportunities such as these must be seized,” he added.

The German foreign minister said Berlin had repeatedly urged both the Russian government and Putin personally to enter negotiations.

“We have repeatedly called on the Russian government and Vladimir Putin personally to finally come to the negotiating table."

Wadephul said that, provided Russia was genuinely interested in ending the war, the G20 meeting could mark the beginning of serious negotiations.

“If that is a way forward, then it would at least mark the start of serious negotiations” if Putin and the Russian government are genuinely interested in ending the war, he said.

Anand said she had been surprised to learn of Trump’s decision to invite Putin to the December meeting. However, she said Canada did not intend to boycott the summit, stressing the importance of maintaining dialogue with Russia.

Russia remains a member of the G20, which comprises 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union.

Putin last attended a G20 summit in person in 2019, before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He has not yet formally accepted Trump’s invitation, which was announced earlier this week.

The German and Canadian ministers’ meeting took place as part of Wadephul’s September 24-25 visit to Canada, during which the two countries also discussed support for Ukraine and broader Euro-Atlantic security.

By Tamilla Hasanova