Trump defies Western critics over Putin’s G20 invitation

The US president has said he would welcome his Russian counterpart at the Florida summit despite opposition from European allies. US President Donald Trump has said he would welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit in Florida, despite efforts by Ukraine and other European countries to isolate Moscow. After returning to office in early 2025, Trump broke ranks with many of his Western allies, who had suspended high-level meetings with Russia over the Ukraine conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed last month that Putin had been invited to the summit, scheduled for December 14–15 in Miami. “I don’t know if he’s coming. I would certainly love to have him,” Trump told reporters on Friday when asked whether the Russian leader would attend.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said last month that the Kremlin was grateful for the invitation but had yet to decide whether Putin would attend. He added that Russia would “actively participate in the work of the G20. ” The invitation drew criticism from EU officials and a bipartisan group of US senators. “It’s clearly, I think, the wrong path to normalize people who are starting wars,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat. Trump: I would certainly love to have Putin at the G20. I don’t know if he’s coming. https://t. co/nc7NJMRESQ — Clash Report (@clashreport) October 16, 2026 Trump has defended his engagement with Moscow as part of his efforts to end the Ukraine conflict. Trump-Putin diesel deal fractures West on Russia – ex-Austrian FM Following a phone call with Putin earlier this month, Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports in an effort to curb rising energy prices ahead of the US midterm elections. The move drew further criticism from Ukraine and its European backers, with…