NEW YORK- United States President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 leaders’ summit in Florida, opening the door to another high-profile visit as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the invitation on Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“We’ve invited President Putin to the G20,” Rubio told reporters, adding that Washington hoped the Russian leader would accept.
The summit is scheduled for December 14 and 15 at President Trump’s Doral golf resort in Miami.
Rubio said Putin’s attendance would allow him to engage with President Trump and other world leaders amid continuing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The invitation marks another step by the Trump administration towards restoring direct diplomatic engagement with Moscow despite Russia’s continuing military operations and international isolation following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia remains a member of the G20, but President Putin has not attended its annual summit in person since 2019.
His absence initially followed the Covid-19 pandemic and was later linked to the diplomatic backlash over the Ukraine war.
In April, American officials said Russia would be invited to participate in ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit.
President Trump said at the time that Putin’s presence could be helpful, although he doubted the Russian leader would attend.
The Kremlin has not confirmed whether President Putin will travel to Miami.
Earlier in September, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not made a decision on Putin’s attendance.
The Russian leader remains subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
Russia rejects the accusations and does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.
The United States is also not a member of the ICC.
Putin last visited the United States in August 2025 for talks with President Trump in Alaska. The meeting failed to produce an agreement ending the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would be prepared to attend the Miami summit and meet Putin if invited.
The Kremlin, however, has dismissed the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders at the gathering.
The G20 brings together 19 of the world’s largest economies alongside the European Union and African Union to discuss global economic cooperation, trade, debt and financial stability.
The decision to hold the summit at Trump National Doral has drawn criticism over potential conflicts of interest because foreign delegations would be hosted at a business owned by the American president.
