Full Breakdown
Putin Expected at APEC in Shenzhen, Likely to Skip G20 in Miami
By Drooid · · How we work
Event Overview
People familiar with the Kremlin say President Vladimir Putin plans to travel to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen on Nov. 18–19, marking his first in-person appearance at an APEC summit since 2017. At the same time, the same sources describe the prospect of Putin joining President Donald Trump at the Group of 20 summit in Miami on Dec. 14–15 as “extremely low.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on either trip.
Travel Constraints and Diplomatic Calculus
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has limited his foreign travel because of Western sanctions, security concerns and a 2023 International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Nevertheless, he visited Mongolia in 2024, a state party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC. Kremlin foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian state television that Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the possibility of an unprecedented trilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of APEC, but any such encounter would depend on whether Trump attends the Chinese summit. Russian officials also noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could make an unexpected appearance at the G20, adding another variable to the diplomatic calculus.
Official Response
The Kremlin has not issued a formal announcement confirming Putin’s participation in either summit. In addition to Peskov’s non-response, Kremlin officials expressed growing frustration with Trump’s envoys—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—whom they say have failed to advance substantive dialogue on the war in Ukraine.
Potential Diplomatic Outcomes
Attending APEC would give Putin the most prominent international platform since the war began, placing him alongside leaders of countries that typically confront Russia over Ukraine, such as Canada, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Skipping the G20 may signal Moscow’s assessment that the U.S.-hosted forum will not yield meaningful progress on a settlement, especially given the anticipated presence of Zelenskyy and the limited prospects for a three-way meeting with Trump and Xi. The decision underscores Russia’s continued strategic weighing of exposure to Western criticism against opportunities for high-level engagement.