Andy Burnham faces diplomatic headache after US invites Vladimir Putin to G20 in 'extraordinary move'

Andy Burnham faces diplomatic headache after US invites Vladimir Putin to G20 in 'extraordinary move' Despite the ongoing war in stricken Ukraine, the Russian president has been offered the chance to attend the G20 summit at Donald Trump’s golf course in Miami in December Andy Burnham faces a diplomatic headache after the US invited Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit – despite the war still raging in Ukraine. The UK has thrown its support behind Kyiv after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion, with the new PM visiting Ukraine in his first overseas trip since entering Number 10. Now it has emerged the Russian president has been offered the chance to attend the G20 summit at Donald Trump’s golf course in Miami in December. It presents the prospect of Mr Burnham coming face-to-face with Putin – who the PM has blasted over his “campaign of terror” against Ukraine. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mark Rubio said: “If you only meet with people you agree with then these are very nice meetings but nothing happens. In order to solve problems, you have to meet with people that you disagree with or the people that you might have some issues with. “So we’ve invited President Putin to the G20. We think it’s an opportunity for him to engage not just with the President but with other world leaders. We hope that’s an invitation he’ll accept. There’s an opportunity in December, if that happens. If there’s another opportunity for them to meet and there’s a purpose behind the meeting, that would be good.” Mr Rubio’s comments came after he met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It is not clear whether Putin will be attending the G20, an international forum which still includes Russia. Putin has not visited the G20 since 2019. Mr Rubio added: “They’ve had conversations on the phone, numerous now. I don’t know the number but since the president’s come into office, I think at least a dozen times they have spoken. So… we’ll remain open to engaging. Obviously, the ideal would be a meeting in which there will be a result, an outcome. And a lot of that means there has to be a lot of work that goes into it beforehand. But, if not, maybe if President Putin attends the G20 in December that will certainly be an opportunity for them to interact and talk.” Lord Beamish, who chairs Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, labelled the US decision to invite Putin to the G20 an "extraordinary move". He told Times Radio: "I think the prerequisite should be that the offensive which is taking place against the independent nation of Ukraine should cease. He could have done that anytime since the invasion four years ago, and he hasn't chosen to do so. So whether or not this is just another explanation for the Americans to try and get people around the table, we don't know, but I think a prerequisite has got to be that hostilities cease." The development comes as Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the world knows Russia is “failing in its war” with Ukraine. Russia launched its full-on invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Mr Miliband said it was time for Russian ministers to tell Putin the truth and "end the bloodshed". He also called for Moscow to come to the negotiating table, stressing the UK's commitment to supporting Ukraine would not waver. Mr Miliband said: "Four years ago, Putin expected Ukraine's supporters to fold, but our backing is rock solid. Four years ago, Putin believed time would favour Russia, yet Russia's advances have all but stalled, and the number of Russian military personnel killed or wounded has passed one-and-a-half million. "And on top of that, Russia's economy is ailing as the consequences of Putin's choices mount, and sanctions deprive the Kremlin war machine of revenues. I say to the Russian representative: it is time ministers told President Putin the truth. "The world knows that Russia is failing in this war. The Russian people can feel it, and ministers know it too. They should tell President Putin to end the bloodshed. And let me tell this truth: the UK's commitment will not waver. Our allies' commitment will not waver. We stand with Ukraine now. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes." Speaking at the UN, US President Donald Trump previously said both Russia and Ukraine wanted to see the war between them end. He said: "I think we're going to make a deal." The president also said the US was discussing allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles to help defend itself against Russian attacks. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Washington to supply more of the weapons, but defence experts say there is currently a global shortage due to the Middle East conflict.