2009 G20 London summit a force for good in the medium term." Leaders of the member countries began to prepare for the London Summit months before the effective date, notably with two official meetings dedicated to that preparation, one held in Berlin, Germany, on 22 February 2009 for European leaders, and another in Horsham, Sussex, United Kingdom, on 14 March 2009 for Finance Ministers. Leaders of the four European Union member countries of the G20, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy along with the two largest European non-members, Spain and the Netherlands, met in Berlin on 22 February 2009 to prepare for the
2014 G20 Brisbane summit President Vladimir Putin should have been allowed to attend the G20 summit, following Russia's response to Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 being shot down as well as pro-Russian actions in Ukraine earlier in the year. Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, approached other G20 countries about banning Putin from the meeting, and stated that this consultation found that there was not the necessary consensus to exclude him. A poll taken in July 2014 found 49% of Australians did not think Putin should be allowed to attend. It was confirmed in September that Putin would attend, with Abbott stating that "The G20 is