Putin will not attend Manchester G20 summit, Burnham says

Vladimir Putin will not attend next year’s G20 summit in Manchester, Andy Burnham has said, as he acknowledged efforts to bring the US and China together on global AI regulation would be “challenging”.

The Prime Minister ruled out the Russian president’s attendance at the gathering of G20 leaders in 2027, despite Russia being a member of the group of advanced economies.

Mr Burnham struck a more welcoming tone towards Chinese leader Xi Jinping, saying next year’s meeting was an opportunity to strengthen relations with Beijing and push for progress on AI safety.

Asked whether Mr Putin would be invited to the G20 leaders’ summit next November, Mr Burnham told The Economist: “No.

“There are sanctions against leading figures in the administration.

“And there’s some technicalities about invites, because I think they’re handled by the G20 rather than by Britain, I think I’ve got that right. So, if I maybe rephrase it, technically, but will not be coming because of an outstanding sanction.”

Tensions arose from the US decision to invite Russia to a meeting of G20 diplomats in Atlanta in October, at a time of intensified attacks on Ukraine.

And Donald Trump has invited Mr Putin to a G20 leaders’ summit at his Miami golf club in December, which – if he accepts – would be the first major summit with the Russian leader present since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The UK has a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion.

On China, Mr Burnham said the summit provided a “real opportunity” to build on his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to the country earlier this year.

He told the magazine: “President Xi visited Manchester in 2015, and I spoke to him and we had a good conversation about that, and he was warm about that visit.

“And obviously he’s coming back 12 years later and he will see a big difference in Manchester. And some of that has been done in partnership with China.

“So we proceed carefully, but I’m sure there is a real opportunity there as well on the back of Keir Starmer’s visit. I think Keir was right to visit.

“I think it has taken the conversation on from where it was under the previous administration.

“And G20 again is an opportunity to get that relationship right. And I think particularly we can do something around AI.”

Pressed on whether Britain could bring the US and China around the same table to agree on global AI supervision, Mr Burnham said: “As I sit here today, that feels challenging, but we’ve got to hold out the need to find global agreements on AI.

“If we don’t, the risks of recent times will magnify, they will significantly intensify.

“So you’ve got to go into it with that aim.”

US and Chinese companies are leading the development of AI, with Mr Trump’s White House wary of any measure which could see American firms lose ground to their Asian rivals.

Mr Burnham said the UK would use its presidency of the G20 to push for international agreement on AI safety, arguing it was in a “unique position” to do so.

The Labour leader praised Tory former prime minister Rishi Sunak for setting up Britain’s AI Security Institute in 2023.

He said: “That was a far-sighted move on his part, and it puts us in a real position of strength to move forward towards a global code or global set of standards, and that too will be a theme of the G20.

“I think we’re really well positioned to go into that year now and make a real success of it.”