Overview
- The U.S. State Department said Thursday that Russia, as a G20 member, will be invited to Miami’s ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit in December, though no formal invitations have gone out.
- President Trump told reporters that no official invitation had been sent and that Putin’s attendance “would be very useful,” though he doubts Putin will come.
- The Kremlin said Russia has received an invitation and will decide closer to the date on the format of participation, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin signaling an invite at a high level.
- Vladimir Putin remains under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant tied to the war in Ukraine, a legal risk that could complicate any in‑person visit to the summit.
- Russia has not attended G20 summits in person since 2019, first due to the pandemic and later after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, so any return would test how the group balances engagement with accountability.