Trump Administration Invites Putin to December G-20 in Florida as Rubio Pushes Dialogue
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 23
Trump Administration Invites Putin to December G-20 in Florida as Rubio Pushes Dialogue
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 23
Summary
Marco Rubio said the Trump administration has invited Vladimir Putin to the G-20 summit in Miami in December, framing it as a chance for him to meet Trump and other world leaders.
Rubio defended engaging Moscow despite deep U.S.-Russia tensions, saying talks with adversaries are necessary to solve problems and that a Putin appearance would create an opening for direct Trump-Putin discussions.
The invitation came after Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the U.N. General Assembly, where they discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and broader bilateral ties.
Putin has not said whether he will attend, and the move underscores a sharp break from Joe Biden's stance that Russia should be removed from the G-20.
The outreach also lands as Ukraine and some European officials worry U.S.-Russia diplomacy could sideline their interests while fighting between Russia and U.S.-backed Ukraine continues.