The United States intends to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 leaders' summit scheduled for December at Donald Trump's Doral golf resort in Miami, though the invitation has not yet been sent, The Washington Post reports, citing administration officials
Washington's position
In a statement, the State Department said Trump "has been clear that Russia is welcome to attend all G-20 meetings," adding that the US is focused on delivering a successful and productive summit.
A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters: "No formal invitations have been issued at this time." The official added that Russia, as a G20 member, would be invited to both the ministerial meetings and the leaders' summit.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on 23 April, Trump said he was not aware of an invitation to Putin but would not oppose one.
"If he came it would probably be very helpful," the US president said. He added that he was "of the opinion that you talk to everybody," but said he doubted Putin would attend if invited.
Moscow's response
Russian officials had said earlier on 23 April that Putin was invited to the Miami summit, though it was unclear whether he would attend.
"Russia has participated in every summit at the appropriate level," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters, adding that a "decision on the format of our participation will be made closer to the summit."
Speaking to Russian media, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said the United States had extended an invitation "at the highest level," but that with the summit months away, acceptance was not certain.
"God knows what will happen before then," Pankin said, according to RIA Novosti.
Russia's absence from G20 since 2019
Russia has skipped in-person G20 attendance since 2019, initially because of the coronavirus pandemic and later because of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Putin, The Washington Post notes. Putin has been accused of war crimes in connection with the Ukraine war.
Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, said in 2022 that he would support removing Russia from the G20. Ukraine is not a G20 member, though it has attended some meetings as a guest.
Trump's outreach to Putin
Despite widespread international condemnation of Putin since the invasion, Trump has sought better relations with the Russian leader and has suggested he could use that relationship to end the war in Ukraine, which has lasted more than four years, the publication writes.
Trump invited Putin to Anchorage last summer for talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine. The meeting marked the first time the Russian leader had been invited to the United States outside the UN since 2007. The talks ended with no sign of an agreement.
Neither Trump nor Putin attended last year's G20 leaders' summit, hosted by South Africa. Trump boycotted the event, claiming South Africa was persecuting its White minority, and said last year that he would not invite South Africa to the 2026 summit for the same reason.
Hosting the G20 at a Trump business
Trump announced his intention to host the G20 at his Florida resort despite criticism of an arrangement that would see foreign governments paying a business he owns. He was earlier noncommittal about whether Putin or Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be invited, stating incorrectly that they might be forced to attend as "observers," according to The Washington Post.
In his first term, Trump repeatedly called for Russia to be allowed to rejoin the G7, arguing in 2019 it was "because a lot of the things we talk about have to do with Russia." Russia was expelled from the G7 in 2014 after annexing Ukraine's Crimea.
