Russia in the G20: a guide for Model G20 delegates

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If you are assigned Russia at a Model G20, you speak for a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the host of the 2013 G20 summit in St Petersburg. Russia holds one of the G20's 19 country seats, alongside the European Union and the African Union. Since 2022 the war in Ukraine has divided G20 meetings, with Russia at the centre of that argument. This guide reflects official sources as of 13 October 2026.

At a glance

Leaders (2026): President Vladimir Putin, "Elected on March 17, 2024" for a six-year term, and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
People (2025): about 143.5 million in World Bank data, which show a small fall each year since 2022.
Economy (2025): GDP of about US$2.56 trillion at current prices, with growth of 1.0% after 4.9% in 2024 (World Bank).
G20 presidency (2013): the St Petersburg summit of 5 to 6 September 2013, its only one so far.
BRICS (2009): host of the first BRIC summit, in Yekaterinburg.
WTO (2012): a member since 22 August 2012.

Russia's G20 story

Russia took over the presidency on 1 December 2012. Putin said its "main task will be to focus the G20's efforts on developing measures to stimulate economic growth and create jobs." The St Petersburg Leaders' Declaration of 6 September 2013 produced:

the St Petersburg Action Plan, which Putin said "sets medium-term goals for reducing budget deficits and conducting comprehensive structural reforms for each country";
a welcome for the first joint meeting of G20 labour and finance ministers;
on tax, backing for the OECD's plan against base erosion and profit shifting, and "automatic exchange of information as the new global standard";
a statement that ratifying the 2010 IMF quota reform was "urgently needed".

A side statement on Syria that day came from 11 delegations, not from the G20.

Russia still takes part, though not always at the level of its President. Putin joined the Rome summit of 2021 and India's virtual summit of November 2023 by video. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov led Russia's delegation at Rio de Janeiro in 2024, and Maxim Oreshkin, a deputy chief of staff in the Presidential Executive Office, led it at Johannesburg in 2025. No new Russian presidency has been announced.

What Russia wants from the G20

These are the Russian government's statements. Other members dispute several, so present them as Russia's view.

A "depoliticised" G20. In January 2024 Russia's sherpa stressed "the importance of ensuring the G20's depoliticised functioning, overcoming confrontational trends and consolidating the positions of the developing nations in this association."
Reform of global institutions. At the virtual summit of 22 November 2023 Putin asked for a bigger role for developing economies in "the IMF and the World Bank" and for "collective, consensus-based decisions".
Trade. He called for a restart of "the WTO in its entirety, including its arbitration function," and criticised "Unlawful trade restrictions and the climate agenda pursued by some countries". That is his characterisation, not a G20 conclusion.
Energy and climate. Putin said in 2023 that Russia "plans to achieve carbon neutrality no later than 2060." On 9 October 2026 he confirmed a willingness "to supply oil and petroleum products to the US market and global markets at large."
The 2026 agenda. In June 2026 Russia's G20 commission set approaches for "innovation, energy, international trade, economic growth, and deregulation," which overlap closely with the US presidency's themes. In February it also named artificial intelligence.

Alliances and groupings

BRICS: its New Delhi Declaration of 12 September 2026, a consensus text of all members, backs a G20 based on "consensus decision making, depoliticized processes, integrity and inadmissibility of arbitrary revision of its membership," and condemns unilateral coercive measures that it says are contrary to international law, including "unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions".
UN Security Council: one of the five permanent members.
OPEC+: not an OPEC member, but a non-OPEC participant in the Declaration of Cooperation, alongside OPEC members such as Saudi Arabia.
Eurasian Economic Union, CIS and SCO: regional groups. Putin met Modi on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek on 31 August 2026.
The old G8: in March 2014 the G7 leaders said they would "suspend our participation in the G-8 until Russia changes course," condemning what they called "Russia's illegal attempt to annex Crimea". That is the G7's view, and Russia's government rejects it.

Russia is not a member of the G7, the EU or OPEC.

Russia and India

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) describes a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership", reached in December 2010. The 23rd Annual Summit was held in New Delhi on 4 to 5 December 2025.

Trade: the MEA says trade hit "a record high of USD 68.7 billion in FY 2024-25" and was 59.863 billion in FY 2025-26. It gives India's exports as USD 4.88 billion and imports from Russia as USD 55.369 billion "Last year", so India buys far more than it sells, including oil, fertilisers and coking coal. The target is USD 100 billion by 2030.
Energy and defence: Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is, the MEA says, "India's only nuclear power plant established with another country". Defence ties have moved "from a buyer-seller framework" to joint research and production.
The G20 and the UN: their December 2025 Joint Statement says "The two Sides highlighted their cooperation within the G20 format and agreed to intensify it." Russia also backs India's bid for a permanent Security Council seat.

The 2025 Joint Statement has no paragraph on Ukraine, so do not present a shared position. Meeting Putin in August 2026, Modi said "India supports all peace efforts in this area".

Recent developments

June 2026: Denis Agafonov, described by the Kremlin as Russia's sherpa, became chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission that supports Russia's G20 work.
11 September 2026: Putin met Modi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi.
1 October 2026: at the Valdai Club, Putin forecast a better world order "as the world moves away from Western hegemony", a contested framing.
9 October 2026: after a call with President Trump, Putin said they discussed "prospects for settling the Ukraine crisis".
Next: the Miami summit is scheduled for 14 to 15 December 2026. We found no announcement of who will lead Russia's delegation.

Representing Russia at a Model G20

Likely allies. Reasoning from shared texts: BRICS members such as China, Brazil and India on institution reform and consensus; Saudi Arabia on oil markets; and the US presidency on energy and deregulation.
Likely red lines. Reasoning from the record, Russia will resist text that condemns it over Ukraine, supports unilateral sanctions or changes G20 membership without consensus. In 2023 two G20 ministers' meetings recorded that Ukraine paragraphs taken from the Bali declaration were "agreed to by all member countries except Russia and China".
Expect hard questions. Others may cite the UN General Assembly vote of 2 March 2022 (141 in favour, 5 against including Russia, 35 abstentions) and the International Criminal Court's 2023 arrest warrant for Putin, which sets out allegations, not a finding of guilt. Prepare a calm reply that states Russia's view as Russia's view.
Phrasing. Use Russia's terms, such as "depoliticised" and "consensus-based decisions". To unblock a draft, suggest the wording from the 2023 G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, "There were different views and assessments of the situation."
Documents to quote. The St Petersburg Leaders' Declaration (2013), Putin's G20 speech of 22 November 2023, the India-Russia Joint Statement (2025) and the BRICS New Delhi Declaration (2026).

What to do next

Turn your research into a paper with how to write a Model G20 position paper, and see how wording becomes agreed text in how a G20 leaders' declaration is agreed. Then read the G20 Sherpa Track and Finance Track explained and check this year's agenda in the 2026 G20 presidency explained.

Model G20 is One Young India's simulation of the G20 summit for students, held as a three-day residential summit at FLAME University.

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