Putin Invited to Trump's Golf Club for G20 in December After Skipping Summits for Years

The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 leaders' summit at Trump National Doral in Miami in December, potentially bringing him back to the gathering in person for the first time since 2019.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the invitation on Wednesday, 23 September, after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Kremlin said it welcomed the invitation and would consider Putin's participation through diplomatic channels.

The summit is scheduled for 14 and 15 December. If Putin attends, it would mark his first in-person appearance at a G20 leaders' summit since Osaka, Japan, in 2019. Russia has continued to participate through other officials, while Putin joined one G20 session virtually in 2023.

Rubio Says Invitation Opens Door To Talks

Rubio said the invitation would give Putin an opportunity to engage with President Donald Trump and other G20 leaders. He argued that direct discussions between governments with disagreements could help address international disputes.

The invitation comes as Washington continues diplomatic efforts over the war in Ukraine while maintaining economic pressure on Moscow. Trump signed new Russia sanctions legislation into law last week, giving him authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major purchasers of Russian energy or countries helping Moscow evade sanctions.

Ukraine has also indicated that Putin's attendance could create an opportunity for direct contact. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would travel to Miami if Putin attended and would be prepared to meet the Russian president, although Moscow has previously rejected the possibility of holding such talks at the G20.

Putin Has Not Attended G20 in Person Since 2019

Putin did not attend the 2022 G20 summit in Bali or the 2023 meeting in New Delhi, where Russia was represented by Lavrov. He has also not attended subsequent leaders' summits in person, with Russia continuing to participate through representatives.

Russian participation has remained contentious among some G20 members. European officials objected to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attending a G20 finance meeting in August, with several ministers declining to join the traditional group photograph.

Zelenskyy has said any meeting with Putin should focus on reaching concrete results. The Kremlin, however, has previously indicated that it did not support holding a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting in Miami and has favoured Moscow as a location for direct talks.

Doral Venue Revives Earlier G7 Dispute

The choice of Trump National Doral also recalls an earlier controversy surrounding the Florida resort.

In October 2019, Trump abandoned plans to hold the following year's G7 summit at Doral after facing criticism over the use of his privately owned property for an official international gathering. The summit was subsequently moved away from the resort before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted plans for the 2020 meeting.

Putin's potential attendance also comes as he remains subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in 2023. The ICC says the warrant concerns alleged war crimes involving the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

The Kremlin has not said whether Putin will attend the December summit. His participation remains under consideration through diplomatic channels, with the G20 meeting due to take place at Trump National Doral on 14 and 15 December.