Invitation extended for Miami summit
The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit planned for December 14–15 in Miami, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who answered reporters' questions about the matter. Rubio said the meeting might serve as a starting point or a platform for a wider agreement. He defended the invitation, saying the Trump administration hopes Putin will accept and arguing that international relations require people who disagree to meet and talk.[S1]
Rubio's remarks came on September 23 after he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where he told journalists that Washington sees the summit as a chance for Putin to engage not only with the US president but also with other world leaders, and that the US remains open to engaging. He added that the administration hopes Putin will accept the invitation.[S2]
Ceasefire question and Russia's G20 status
When reporters asked Rubio if Moscow had any appetite for a truce limited to the energy sector, he replied that while it would not bring the war to an end, it might ease some of the strain being experienced worldwide. Russia still belongs to the G20, a key forum for the global economy, even though it lost its G8 seat following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.[S1][S2]
Should Putin make the trip, it would mark his second time on American soil since Donald Trump began his second presidential term. His previous state visit in almost ten years came in August 2025, when he went to Alaska for Ukraine war negotiations that ended without significant progress. Following that Alaska meeting, Trump remarked in September 2025 that he would be delighted to welcome Putin to the G20.[S2]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated in an interview with German media published on September 12 that he would be ready to meet Putin at the G20 summit, saying that they have to meet, speak and make decisions.[S2]
