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Russia on Friday said it remains committed to taking part in the G20 but warned that efforts to insert political disputes into the group’s agenda undermine its purpose.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow “remains interested in continuing work within the G20,” while insisting the platform should focus on global economic issues.
Peskov said several countries shared Russia’s concerns about political wording in draft summit documents.
“There are attempts to politicize the document, which is perceived with hostility, including by us,” he said. “When there is no possibility of reaching consensus, the document simply does not work and is not adopted.”
He stressed that the G20 was designed to address economic challenges rather than political disagreements.
“We have always been against elements of politicization being introduced in any way onto the agenda of this organization,” he said.
Peskov described the G20 as a “much more representative format” for global economic discussions and said its relevance “remains significant for many countries.”
South Africa, which currently holds the presidency, will host the next leaders’ summit in Johannesburg on Nov. 22–23, 2025.
Peskov also addressed Washington’s newly announced military operation targeting drug cartels in Venezuela, saying Moscow expects the United States to avoid actions that could destabilize the region.
“We hope that no actions will be taken that could destabilize the situation in the Caribbean and around Venezuela, and that everything will be in accordance with international law,” he said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced Operation Southern Spear, aimed at countering drug trafficking networks in Venezuela.
President Donald Trump has recently deployed military assets to waters around the Caribbean and Latin America, saying the move is necessary to curb drug flows into the U.S.
Analysts view the buildup as an effort to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
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