US invites Putin to Miami G20, opening door for Trump talks on Ukraine
The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 Summit in Miami in December, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Rubio said Washington sees the summit as a chance for Putin to engage with US President Donald Trump as well as other world leaders.
The invitation has come amid renewed efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year. Rubio said Trump remains open to speaking to Putin and suggested the G20 summit could provide an opportunity for the two leaders to meet and talk.
"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," Rubio told a press conference.
Asked whether Trump would meet Putin for talks on the war in Ukraine, Rubio said the US president is willing to engage with anyone, including those he disagrees with. "They've had numerous conversations on the phone. I don't know the number, but since the President's come into office, I think at least a dozen times they have spoken. So, yeah, we'll remain open to engaging," Rubio said.
He added that a meeting would be most useful if there was groundwork in place. "Obviously, the ideal would be a meeting in which there will be a result, an outcome, and a lot of that means there has to be a lot of work that goes into it beforehand. But if not, if President Putin attends the G20 in December, that will certainly be an opportunity for them to interact and talk," Rubio said.
The move has already drawn criticism, with former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley calling it "irresponsible". In a post on X, she said: "Putin attacked Ukraine. Putin has helped the Iranians in the war against the US. Putin continues to threaten our NATO allies. This is irresponsible."
Recently, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow in an effort to end the war in Ukraine. Putin last visited the US in August 2025 for a meeting with Trump in Alaska. Rubio's remarks on Wednesday linked the G20 invitation to the wider push for engagement over the Ukraine war.
