Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Sept. 23 that President Trump has formally invited President Vladimir Putin to the G‑20 leaders’ meeting scheduled for December 2026 in Miami, Florida.
Rubio told reporters in New York that engaging with adversaries is essential to solving disputes, saying, “In order to solve problems, you have to meet with the people that you disagree with… So we’ve invited President Putin to the G‑20.” He added that the invitation offers Putin a chance to interact not only with the U.S. president but also with other world leaders.
The invitation comes as Washington continues to seek a diplomatic pathway to end Russia’s four‑year invasion of Ukraine, with Trump asserting that his administration is working with both sides to halt the conflict.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council that Moscow would not pause its “special military operation,” accusing Europe of trying to “pump the Kyiv regime with weapons.” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded that Lavrov’s remarks “said it all.”
Rubio also urged Moscow and Kyiv to consider an energy‑focused ceasefire, noting that both parties have shown interest in limiting hostilities around power infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later said Ukraine is prepared to stop strikes on Russian energy sites if Russia reciprocates, following Trump’s call for Kyiv to cease attacks on diesel refineries.
Zelensky, after meeting Trump on Sept. 22, reiterated that the United States and Ukraine want the war concluded before winter. The two presidents have spoken by telephone on several occasions, with their last in‑person meeting recorded in 2025.
Separately, Rubio warned that the West Bank should not become another flashpoint in the Middle East, emphasizing that the region does not need an additional crisis.