The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed. The invitation was announced at a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations in New York.
Rubio spoke following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "To solve problems, you must meet with people you disagree with or have issues with," Rubio said. He added that Washington views the summit as an opportunity for Putin to speak not only with Trump but also with other world leaders, and that the US hopes the Russian president will accept the invitation.
The invitation to Putin would be the first major summit with a Russian leader present since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. According to an assessment in the report, the invitation marks a significant shift in the Trump administration's approach to Russian international isolation. The Washington Post notes that his attendance would open the possibility of a new meeting between Putin and Trump, with Rubio stating that the summit, if Putin attends, would "certainly be an opportunity" for the two presidents to speak. Putin has not yet confirmed whether he will personally attend the G20 summit in Miami.
The meeting between Rubio and Lavrov took place as Washington seeks to restart diplomatic talks on the war in Ukraine. According to Reuters, Rubio said after the meeting that both Russia and Ukraine had shown interest in a limited ceasefire that would cover attacks on energy infrastructure and the safe export of grain and Black Sea shipping. "I think both sides have expressed interest in a limited ceasefire that would include grain and energy. Obviously, neither is easy," Rubio said.
Russia has not yet publicly confirmed that it is willing to agree to such a deal. Reuters reports that following the meeting between Rubio and Lavrov, it was not clear whether his words represented a real shift in the Russian position. The Kremlin stated just before the meeting that it currently sees no conditions for a transition to broader peace talks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "At the moment, there are no preconditions for a transition to a peace negotiation track, although we as the Russian side remain open to peace talks."
Ukraine has stated that it is ready for a ceasefire on attacks related to Black Sea shipping and energy infrastructure if Russia agrees to reciprocal measures. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that he is ready to meet with Putin, including the possibility of a trilateral meeting with Trump. This month, he said he would be willing to attend the G20 summit in Miami if Putin were to be present, emphasising that it is more important to achieve concrete results than to exchange statements. Kyiv is ready to ensure safe shipping and food supplies across the Black Sea if Moscow takes "real steps towards de-escalation," Zelenskyy said, with the message: "We must start somewhere."
The Kremlin has so far rejected such a meeting on neutral ground and insisted that Zelenskyy, if he wishes to speak with Putin, should come to Moscow.
