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US invites Putin to G20 amid fresh diplomatic push over Ukraine war
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to the G20 summit in the United States in December, describing the gathering as an opportunity for him to engage with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Rubio said the Trump administration remained open to engaging with leaders with whom it disagreed, arguing that direct meetings could help address difficult issues.“So we've invited President Putin to the G20. We think it's an opportunity for him to engage not just with the President (Trump), but with other world leaders. We hope that's an invitation he'll accept, that there's an opportunity in December if that happens,” Rubio said.
Rubio's remarks came after he met Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with the two discussing the Russia-Ukraine war and US-Russia bilateral relations, according to the US State Department.
Rubio says Trump open to meeting Putin
Explaining Trump's approach to diplomacy, Rubio said the US president was willing to meet people even when there were disagreements between them.“President (Trump) is willing to engage and meet with virtually anyone,” Rubio said, adding that Trump believed that “in order to solve problems, you have to meet with the people that you disagree with or the people that you might have some issues with.”
Rubio said a meeting between Trump and Putin would ideally have a clear purpose and result, requiring substantial preparation beforehand.“Obviously, the ideal would be a meeting in which there will be a result, an outcome. And a lot of that means there has to be a lot of work that goes into it beforehand,” he said.He added that Putin's possible attendance at the G20 could provide an opportunity for the two leaders to interact.“But if not, maybe if President Putin attends the G20 in December, that will certainly be an opportunity for them to interact and talk,” Rubio said.Rubio also said Trump and Putin had spoken on the phone numerous times since Trump took office, estimating that they had held at least a dozen conversations.
Russia-Ukraine ceasefire proposals discussed
The G20 invitation comes as Washington continues to engage with Moscow and Kyiv over the Russia-Ukraine war.Rubio said on Wednesday that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy, according to Reuters.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said Ukraine was ready for a maritime truce in the Black Sea based on proposals from Egypt, India and Turkey.He said Ukraine was waiting for Russia's response and was prepared to work towards safe shipping and food security if Moscow was ready to take steps towards de-escalation.“We are waiting for Russia's response. Ukraine is ready ... to ensure safe shipping and food security in the Black Sea if Russia is ready to take real steps towards de-escalation too.
We have to start somewhere,” Zelenskyy said.Zelenskyy also said he was ready to meet Putin in a trilateral meeting with Trump.The Kremlin, however, has said there are currently no prerequisites for broader Ukraine peace talks, while maintaining that Russia remains open to negotiations.“For now, there are no prerequisites for moving on to a peaceful negotiating track, although we, as the Russian side, remain open to peace talks,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.The latest diplomatic contacts come as the US continues discussions with both sides on possible limited ceasefires involving energy infrastructure and grain, alongside broader efforts to address the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
