'Siding with a bloodthirsty thug': Sen. Blumenthal slams Trump over lifting Russia sanctions

President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about Russian President Vladimir Putin's attendance at the G20 summit in Miami later this year. Despite not knowing if Putin will come, Trump expressed a strong desire to host the Russian leader at the event, stating, "I would certainly love to have Putin at the G20." The invitation was extended by the Trump administration in September 2026, although it has sparked controversy among U.S. Western allies due to Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously indicated his willingness to meet with Putin in a G20 setting during the summit. Following their meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy reiterated his openness to negotiations and suggested a potential three-way meeting between Trump, Putin, and himself to advance peace talks.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin is open to meeting both Trump and Zelenskyy but only if Russia's undisclosed preconditions are met. The G20 summit is scheduled for December 14-15, 2026, in Miami. Washington invited Putin to attend in September, and the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the summit could provide Putin with an opportunity to engage with other world leaders.

Russia has not attended G20 summits in person since 2019, with the Kremlin's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov or others representing the Russian delegation in such meetings since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.