U.S. President Donald Trump (Republican) walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin upon arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Russia has welcomed President Vladimir Putin’s invitation from the US government to the Group of 20 summit in Florida later this year, saying it “really” appreciates the offer but has not yet decided whether to accept it.
The invitation sparked a backlash in Europe, where governments are rearming since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was concerned that Russia would see this as “an encouragement to continue its aggressive policies,” and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Karas said it was “really very difficult to understand this treatment” of President Putin.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the White House will invite Putin to the G20 meeting in Miami in December, where he may meet with President Donald Trump.
“We think it’s an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president, but with other world leaders. We hope it’s something he will accept the invitation to do,” Rubio told reporters. “If we have the opportunity to meet again and there is a purpose behind that meeting, that’s good,” he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that the Russian government was “sincerely” grateful for the “kind” invitation.
“We will evaluate this. It will be considered, agreed upon and a decision will be taken accordingly,” Peskov told reporters, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Ukraine, which has stepped up attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and logistics hubs in recent months, has warned that unless a ceasefire is reached in the coming weeks, the coming winter will be painful for Russia, while admitting it fears another harsh winter.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called Putin “patient zero” and “a person for whom the idea of war continues to spread even more.”
“Wrong Way”
Negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveled to Ukraine for the first time earlier this month to meet with Zelensky, but diplomatic talks seeking a peaceful resolution to the war have stalled in recent months as the United States has shifted its focus to the war against Iran.
In an interview with Sky News, the EU’s Karas said that the invitation of US President Vladimir Putin needed to be discussed with the political leaders of the 27-nation bloc.
“But I think it’s clearly the wrong path to normalize people who start wars, who violate the United Nations Charter, who kill or order killings of civilians, who ignore international humanitarian law, who inflict as much damage and suffering on people as possible,” Karas said.
“If we normalize this, believe me, more will happen around the world,” she added.
