Poland won't boycott G20 even if Putin attends, Sikorski says
Photo: Radosław Sikorski (Getty Images)
Inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami is a mistake, but Poland does not plan to boycott the event, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said, according to Rzeczpospolita.
Poland’s Foreign Minister rejected the idea of boycotting the G20 summit because the Russian leader might attend. Sikorski confirmed that he will attend the meeting of G20 foreign ministers at the end of October, regardless of whether a Russian representative is there.
"Diplomacy is more complicated than it seems and sometimes puts us in uncomfortable situations, but we must know how to deal with them," Sikorski stressed.
Criticism of US decision and Putin’s return from isolation
At the same time, he considers the invitation to Putin a bad idea, noting that the Russian leader is banned from entering many countries worldwide. In his view, the Kremlin leader should not be considered a welcome guest as long as he continues his war of aggression and colonial war against Ukraine.
According to Poland’s foreign minister, US President Donald Trump’s decision to invite Putin reflects his business-oriented approach, which involves seeking mutually beneficial solutions in any situation.
"This is an ahistorical approach to this war, and so far it has not produced results, but unfortunately, it is taking Putin out of isolation," Sikorski said.
The "family photo" dilemma and lessons from previous meetings
Poland’s foreign minister rejected claims that Poland’s participation in the summit would help bring Putin out of isolation, noting that Warsaw is not hosting the event.
He also cited the experience of Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański at a meeting in Wisconsin, where it was possible to avoid appearing together with a Russian official in the so-called family photo.
Commenting on the possible participation of Polish President Karol Nawrocki in a group photo with Putin, Sikorski said there is room for negotiations with the American organizers.
According to him, other world leaders, including the prime ministers of Britain and India and the president of France, are also unlikely to want to take such a photo.
It was recently reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would like to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in person during the G20 summit in Miami.
At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin has not yet decided whether he will attend the G20 summit.
