Rishi Sunak says Putin should not have a ‘seat at the table’ for G20 summit

Vladimir Putin should not have a ‘seat at the table’ for the G20 summit in Bali, Rishi Sunak insisted today.

The would-be PM said world leaders must not ‘sit round a table’ with the Russian president amid the ‘illegal’ war in Ukraine.

The intervention comes despite the Indonesian hosts indicating that both Putin and China premier Xi Jinping will attend the gathering in November.

However, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has also been invited – raising the prospect that he could come face-to-face with Putin.

Boris Johnson has previously warned that boycotting the meeting would merely hand a ‘propaganda opportunity’ to Moscow.

Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss has also suggested she would ‘go there and I would call Putin out’. 

Vladimir Putin should not have a ‘seat at the table’ for the G20 summit in Bali, Rishi Sunak insisted today

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) has also been invited to the G20 – raising the prospect that he could come face-to-face with Putin

A spokeswoman for Mr Sunak said: ‘Our G20 partners and allies have a collective responsibility to call Putin’s abhorrent behaviour out. 

‘Sitting round a table with him isn’t good enough when he is responsible for children being killed in their beds as they sleep.

‘We need to send a strong message to Putin that he doesn’t have a seat at the table unless and until he stops his illegal war in Ukraine.’

Mr Johnson said in June that Western powers needed to attend the meeting to help win over nations who might otherwise fall under the influence of Russia or China.

Speaking at a Nato summit in Madrid, Mr Johnson said: ‘I would be absolutely amazed if Putin goes in person. He’s a pariah figure.’

During Tory hustings with MPs last month, Mr Sunak said: ‘I walked out of the G20 meeting when the Russian finance minister was taking part.’ 

Mr Sunak said world leaders must not ‘sit round a table’ with Vladimir Putin amid the ‘illegal’ war in Ukraine