Russia’s Putin to attend G20 leaders summit: Australia

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey confirmed Sunday that Vladimir Putin will attend the G20 leaders’ summit in November, despite concerns about Russia’s actions in Ukraine in recent months. Australia’s confirmation that the Russian leader would attend the high-powered summit came after Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said he would also meet Putin next week. “I spoke with the Finance Minister of Russia only yesterday… and he did confirm that President Putin will be coming to the G20 leaders’ summit in Brisbane,” Hockey told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Sunday morning. There were question marks over Putin’s attendance due to the six-month conflict between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 3,300 people. But there had been signs of a shift after Hockey said at the G20 finance ministers’ meeting in September that member nations believed Russia’s attendance would help address the geo-political tensions.

That has certainly been the consensus of other members of the G20 that President Putin should attend. And I think there will be some full and frank dialogue with President Putin at that meeting.

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey

World G20