The Trump administration has formally invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December, opening the prospect of his first in-person G20 attendance since 2019 as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also plans to attend.
The summit is scheduled for Dec. 14-15 at Trump National Doral Miami. It is being held at National Doral Golf Club, the private golf course of the American president.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the invitation on Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Rubio said: “We've invited President Putin to the G20.”
Rubio said the administration saw the summit as a forum for Putin to meet a range of leaders. “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.”
He also said the US remained open to talks with Moscow about Ukraine, where at least 125,000 Ukrainians have been killed in the war thus far.
The Kremlin has yet to decide whether Putin will travel to Miami. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said on Thursday that the invitation would be considered before a decision was made.
“No decision has been made yet. We certainly appreciate this kind invitation, we value it, and it will be reviewed and coordinated, after which an appropriate decision will be reached,” Peskov said.
Asked what Putin and Trump might discuss should the Russian president attend, Peskov told reporters: “It is premature to speak about this right now.”
Putin's presence would complicate the summit's diplomacy because Zelenskiy told the Kyiv Post earlier this month that he would attend. Putin has rejected a meeting with Zelenskiy outside Russia, saying he would meet the Ukrainian president only at the Kremlin.
Putin also has an active warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. The brief does not establish how summit organisers would manage the simultaneous attendance of Putin and Zelenskiy, or what security and diplomatic arrangements would apply.
Trump tried a similar move in 2020. That effort drew widespread outrage before the summit was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Miami invitation now leaves the Kremlin with a decision over whether Putin should appear at a meeting of world leaders that would also include Zelenskiy. It also keeps open the prospect of further US contact with Moscow over Ukraine, while the substance of any possible discussions remains unknown.
Comments (0)