US invites Putin to Miami G20 summit

The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami this December, opening the possibility of his first in-person appearance at the forum since 2019 as Washington seeks an agreement to curb the war in Ukraine.

“We’ve invited President Putin to the G20,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “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.”

The Kremlin has not publicly responded to the invitation, The Guardian reported. Russia remains a G20 member, though Putin has not attended a summit in person since 2019; he joined one session virtually in 2023. The December meeting is scheduled for the Trump National Doral golf club, according to The Guardian.

Rubio defended the invitation as a way to address disagreements. “In order to solve problems, you have to meet with the people that you disagree with,” he said. He also said President Donald Trump remained open to a separate meeting with Putin if “there’s a purpose behind the meeting,” The Guardian reported.

The invitation comes as Trump seeks a ceasefire arrangement. Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited halt to fighting involving grain and energy, while cautioning that it “won’t be easy.” Al Jazeera reported that Ukrainian officials have called for a pause in strikes on energy infrastructure and steps to facilitate Black Sea shipping.

Lavrov rejected a broader pause in remarks to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. “We are not going to have a pause in our special military operation,” he said, accusing Europe of seeking time to supply Ukraine with weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was still open to a Black Sea maritime truce but was awaiting Russia’s response. Ukraine was ready to help ensure safe shipping and food security if Russia took “real steps towards de-escalation,” he said.

Trump and Zelenskyy met Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering. Zelenskyy said afterward that they had discussed how to end the war and an energy ceasefire. “We are ready. I’m not sure Russia is ready as of today,” he said, according to The Guardian. He has also said he would travel to the G20 and meet Putin there if the Russian leader attended. “Results matter,” he told Deutsche Welle.

Addressing the General Assembly on Wednesday, Zelenskyy urged governments to restrict trade that finances Russia’s war effort. “When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time,” he said. He warned that Ukraine faced a harsh winter and that the war could spread beyond its borders.

The diplomatic exchanges unfolded amid continued attacks. The Guardian reported that a person was killed and eight were injured in strikes on Kyiv on Wednesday morning, citing Mayor Vitali Klitschko’s account of damage to a petrol station, warehouses, a business centre and transport infrastructure. Kyiv had also struck a major Russian oil refinery over the weekend, the newspaper reported.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The United States is not a member of the court.