U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s potential attendance at the upcoming G20 summit, set to take place at his resort in Florida later this year. Trump noted that while he does not anticipate Putin’s presence, it could be beneficial if he were to attend.
This statement follows a report from Bloomberg, which indicated that Russia has been invited to participate in both ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit. Russia has not attended the annual conference in person since 2019, first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later as a result of its ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump mentioned that he is unaware of any formal invitation for Putin and expressed doubt about the likelihood of the Russian leader actually showing up. He stated,
“I don’t know about the invitation, but if he were invited, I think it’s important to talk to everyone.”
Additionally, the Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed that Russia received an invitation to the G20 summit at the highest level. Svetlana Lukash, Russia’s representative at the G20, indicated that the U.S. presidency is preparing for the possibility of Putin’s attendance.
In previous comments, Trump has also mentioned plans to invite Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the summit, aiming to strengthen U.S. ties with Central Asian nations. However, he has ruled out inviting South Africa, which hosted last year’s summit, due to concerns over the country’s treatment of white Afrikaners. The South African government dismissed Trump’s claims as unfounded.
President Trump has raised doubts about Vladimir Putin's attendance at the G20 summit in Florida, despite acknowledging potential benefits of such a meeting. Russia claims it has been invited, while Trump remains skeptical about the invitation's validity.