US President Donald Trump’s administration has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami this December, opening the possibility of another face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. Putin has not confirmed that he will attend, and readers should not treat the invitation as evidence that a Ukraine peace agreement is close.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the invitation on Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Rubio said the gathering could allow Putin to speak with Trump and other world leaders. “We remain open to engaging,” he told journalists.
The invitation marks another attempt by Trump to bring Moscow into direct talks as efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine remain stalled.
Russia is still a member of the G20, a forum bringing together the world’s largest economies, despite its diplomatic isolation following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow was expelled from the smaller G8 group after it annexed Crimea in 2014.
Putin’s attendance remains uncertain
Putin’s presence in Miami is not guaranteed. The Kremlin is expected to decide closer to the summit, while diplomatic and security considerations could affect whether he travels.
If he accepts, the visit would give Trump another opportunity to press for negotiations over Ukraine. It could also provoke criticism from Kyiv and European governments that believe Russia should face greater pressure rather than diplomatic rehabilitation while the war continues.
Trump and Putin previously met in Alaska in August 2025. The talks attracted international attention but ended without a ceasefire.
The meeting also failed to resolve disagreements over Ukrainian territory, security guarantees and sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine has insisted that no lasting settlement should be agreed without its participation. President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that he would be prepared to meet Putin at the G20, but there is no confirmed plan for such talks.
Invitation may divide Ukraine’s allies
Supporters of Trump’s approach argue that ending a war requires discussions with all sides, including governments with which Washington strongly disagrees.
Critics, however, fear that giving Putin a prominent international platform could reduce Russia’s isolation without securing meaningful concessions.
Questions also remain over what Moscow would demand in return for ending hostilities. Russia controls parts of eastern and southern Ukraine and has previously insisted that Kyiv accept territorial losses and abandon its ambition to join Nato.
Ukraine rejects those conditions, saying they would reward military aggression and leave the country exposed to another attack.
Trump has shown a willingness to consider some of Moscow’s territorial demands. NewDailyPrime previously reported that he backed Putin’s demand for Ukrainian land as part of a possible settlement.
No final peace framework has been accepted by Russia and Ukraine.
Why the G20 invitation matters
The G20 mainly deals with economic cooperation, financial stability, trade and global development. However, meetings between leaders often take place on the sidelines and can become as important as the formal summit sessions.
A Trump-Putin meeting could cover the war, sanctions, energy supplies and relations between Washington and Moscow.
The invitation also comes as tensions grow over attacks on Russian energy facilities. Trump has called on Zelensky to stop strikes against Russian diesel infrastructure, arguing that they are contributing to higher global fuel prices.
Ukraine says the facilities support Moscow’s military operations and are therefore legitimate wartime targets. Read New Daily Prime’s report on the Trump-Zelensky dispute over Russian refinery strikes.
For Nigerians living abroad, the outcome matters because disruptions involving Russia and Ukraine can affect fuel, food, transport and household costs. Higher living expenses in Britain, Europe and North America can also increase the financial pressure on people supporting relatives in Nigeria.
However, an invitation to a summit does not amount to a ceasefire or peace agreement. Any settlement would still require negotiations over territory, security guarantees, sanctions and Ukraine’s future relationship with Nato and the European Union.
What readers should know
Putin has been invited to the G20 summit in Miami, but his attendance has not been confirmed. The invitation could create an opportunity for further diplomacy, although deep divisions between Russia, Ukraine and their international partners mean that a meeting alone would not guarantee progress towards ending the war.
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