US President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida, in December, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed.
Rubio disclosed the invitation on Wednesday, September 23, following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“We’ve invited President Putin to the G20. We think it’s an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders. We hope that’s an invitation he’ll accept,” Rubio said.
The invitation could provide an opportunity for Putin and Trump to meet in person during the summit. However, Rubio indicated that such a meeting has not been formally agreed.
The G20 summit is scheduled for December 14 and 15 in Miami. Russia remains a member of the G20, although Putin has not attended an in-person G20 leaders’ summit since 2019.
The invitation comes as Washington continues diplomatic engagement with Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Rubio said the United States remains open to discussions with Russia despite the lack of a breakthrough in efforts to end the conflict.
The Kremlin has acknowledged the invitation and said it will consider whether Putin will attend. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia appreciates the invitation and that any decision would be handled through diplomatic channels.
If Putin accepts, his attendance would place the Russian president alongside other leaders of the world’s major economies at the Miami summit and could create an additional opportunity for discussions between Washington and Moscow.
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