Radosław Sikorski has called Donald Trump’s decision to invite Vladimir Putin to the G20 a bad idea. Poland’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister argues that the US president is pulling Russia out of isolation, and that the Kremlin leader has no business being treated as a welcome guest while he wages an aggressive, colonial war.
Sikorski said he intends to take part in the G20 summit in Atlanta, whether or not a representative of the Russian Federation is also invited. He admitted the situation is awkward, but stressed that diplomacy is harder than it looks and sometimes forces politicians into uncomfortable circumstances they still have to handle.
– I will be at the G20 in Atlanta. I don’t know whether the foreign minister of the Russian Federation will be invited, but regardless of whether he is or not, I intend to take part in it. Diplomacy is harder than it seems, and sometimes puts us in uncomfortable situations, with which we have to be able to cope – said the head of Polish diplomacy.
Putin shut out of many countries
Sikorski recalled that Putin is barred from entering a number of states. He gave South Africa as an example, noting that the Russian president could not go there because the country’s judiciary takes its obligations to the International Criminal Court seriously. The United States is not a member of that tribunal, the minister added, yet that does not make Putin a desirable guest as long as the war he launched continues.
– Inviting Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit was a bad idea. I remind you that Vladimir Putin has no entry to a number of countries. For example, he could not visit South Africa, because its judiciary takes its obligations to the International Criminal Court seriously. The US is not a member of the Tribunal, but Putin should not be treated as a welcome guest as long as he wages an aggressive, colonial war – stressed Radosław Sikorski.
Poland will not boycott the summit
In Sikorski’s view, Warsaw should not turn its back on the Atlanta meeting. He pointed out that Poland is neither the host nor the side handing out the invitations, and that simply being invited counts as a success for the country.
– We are not the inviting party, we are not the host. It is a success for Poland that we were invited. The same dilemma was faced by finance minister Andrzej Domański at the meeting of economy ministers and he coped with it. The Russian minister was not at the so-called family photo – said the deputy prime minister.
Sikorski has previously made clear that he would not shake Putin’s hand or stand next to him for a joint photograph. His remarks were reported on 1 October 2026, as the discussion over Russia’s presence at the G20 table continues ahead of the summit hosted by the United States. The Polish foreign minister framed his criticism around one core argument: the American president is offering Moscow a way back into the room it was pushed out of, and that is the wrong signal to send.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Paweł Supernak / PAP
