US President Donald Trump commented on the possible participation of Vladimir Putin in the "Group of Twenty" summit, which is scheduled to take place in December 2026 in Miami. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a publication by the "American Presidency Project." Journalists raised the topic while the White House chief was speaking with media representatives, and in response to a direct question about whether Russia would be invited to the G20 leaders' meeting, Trump answered in the most concise terms possible: he had not yet thought about it. Thus, no final decision has been made at this point regarding the invitation of the Russian president to the summit.
Prior Statements and the Evolution of the Position
It should be noted that Washington's position on Russia's participation in the G20 summit is not static. Earlier, Trump had already stated that he would like to see Vladimir Putin at the meeting, should he agree to take part. In addition, the American president noted that Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping could attend the event as observers. The format of their potential participation, according to Trump, is to be determined later. Thus, behind the brief answer "I haven't thought about it yet" lies a more complex internal discussion within the administration, which, it seems, has not yet been concluded.
Contradictory Data
Publications by different outlets show discrepancies in how the essence of Trump's answer is presented. RBC-Ukraine and RBC convey the verbatim wording: the president "has not yet thought" about the invitation. At the same time, the outlet world.comments.ua writes in its headline that "Trump Stuns with Plans for Putin's Presence at the G20 Summit," which suggests a more definite and positive signal than the phrase that actually sounded. Rosbalt, for its part, uses a neutral interrogative format: "Will Trump Invite Putin to the G20 Summit in Miami." The difference in presentation does not change the factual basis — Trump neither confirmed nor rejected the invitation — but it creates a different impression in the reader's mind about the degree of Washington's readiness for such a step.
Context: the G20 Financial Track and the Asheville Precedent
The question of Russia's presence at G20 events in the US already has a practical history. The Trump administration allowed the participation of a Russian delegation in the G20 financial track meeting held in Asheville. The Russian side at that event was headed by Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who attended at such a level for the first time in person since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the view of analysts, this precedent creates a certain precedent for expanding the format of Moscow's participation at the Miami summit, although the leaders' summit and the financial track are fundamentally different venues in terms of political weight.
Political Significance and Decision Timeline
The G20 summit is scheduled for December 14–15, 2026. The venue is the Trump National Doral Miami complex, which gives the event an additional symbolic weight. The participation of the Russian president in an international forum of this level on US soil could become a significant political signal for Moscow, and for Washington — a demonstration of readiness for dialogue at the highest level. At the same time, the issue remains extremely sensitive against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing full-scale war against Ukraine. The final list of invited participants to the summit has not yet been formed, and, judging by Trump's answer, key decisions on the format of Russia's and China's participation will be made in the coming weeks.
