Trump says he would 'love to have' Putin at December G20 summit in Miami
President Donald Trump said Russia had asked to be represented at the G20 meetings and that he would welcome Vladimir Putin at the December summit in Miami, despite bipartisan Senate opposition to the invitation.
President Donald Trump said he would welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 leaders’ summit the United States will host in December, telling reporters that Moscow had asked to be represented at the meetings.
“No, no, they asked to be represented. I don’t know if he’s coming. Certainly would love to have him,” Trump said at the White House before departing on Marine One, according to IANS, answering a question about whether Putin would attend the summit.
The United States holds the 2026 G20 presidency. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 30 and 31, and Trump will host the Leaders’ Summit on December 14 and 15 at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, according to the State Department.
Trump’s remarks build on his administration’s September invitation to Putin, which Secretary of State Rubio announced in New York last month. The Kremlin has said it is grateful for the invitation but has not decided whether Putin will attend. News9live reported that the December summit is also expected to be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A bipartisan group of 14 US senators wrote to Trump in late September urging him to reconsider the invitation, arguing that letting Putin appear at a US-hosted G20 would grant him “stature and legitimacy” while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. Senators Roger Wicker and Jeanne Shaheen initiated the letter, which warned that Putin, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and other Russian delegates remain subject to US sanctions.
Asked by reporters whether he had forgotten that Putin started the war in Ukraine, Trump replied: “Well, you know, I know the details, okay? And at some point I’ll release the details. But I don’t care anything except for one. I want that war ended,” IANS reported. He claimed an average of 25,000 soldiers a month are being killed, and 32,000 last month — figures presented as Trump’s own assertions, which have not been independently verified.
Trump was also asked about reported restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade satellite internet service. “No, we didn’t do that at all,” he said.
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