Reports indicate that the United States conveyed through bilateral channels its decision not to invite a broad set of leaders to the upcoming APEC summit in San Francisco, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. In response, Moscow formally requested that Washington honor its duties as the host nation by extending an invitation to Putin. This information came from Marat Berdyev, a senior Russian diplomat who serves as Grand Ambassador of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russia’s lead representative to APEC, as reported by RIA News.
Earlier, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s press secretary, stated that the Kremlin did not expect Putin to be invited to the summit and that Russia had not yet decided on its possible participation. This added a layer of uncertainty about Russia’s path forward with the event, given the evolving political and diplomatic dynamics surrounding sanctions and regional leadership.
Berdyev remarked that the United States had informed Russia that the invitation list would be limited due to current sanctions constraints. He emphasized that Moscow remains engaged with American counterparts to ensure the hosting country meets its obligations for the summit. As Russia’s representative to APEC, Berdyev has continued to press the issue, reiterating Moscow’s request for Putin’s invitation and maintaining dialogue with Washington to align on the final arrangements for attendance.
In related exchanges, Putin has been publicly described in various remarks and satire about the internal workings of the Russian government; these comments are part of broader discussions around leadership and policy, not direct statements about the APEC invitation. The situation continues to be shaped by sanctions, diplomatic signals, and the ongoing dialogue between Moscow and Washington as both sides navigate the complexities of regional diplomacy and multilateral forums.