U.S. Invites Putin to G20, Attendance Uncertain

The Trump administration invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the December 14–15 G20 summit in Miami, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the United Nations. Rubio said the summit could let Putin meet President Donald Trump and other leaders, but any Trump-Putin talks would require preparation and a clearly defined outcome; the Kremlin said it appreciated the invitation but had not decided whether Putin would attend. U.S.-mediated efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have made little progress, and European leaders expressed concern that the invitation could encourage further Russian aggression. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen welcomed it as a possible step toward ending the war, while saying that if elected president in 2027 she would end France’s financial aid to Ukraine but could retain other support, including military training; U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the invitation and questioned its consistency with possible sanctions on Russia. Putin has not attended a G20 summit in person since 2019, and sanctions and diplomatic tensions could complicate a visit to Miami.