by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s decision to invite his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Miami in December has triggered concern and criticism among European allies as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the invitation Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“We’ve invited President Putin to the G20,” Rubio told reporters, saying Washington viewed the gathering as an opportunity for the Russian leader to engage with Trump and other world leaders.
Rubio said Trump was willing to meet adversaries in an effort to resolve conflicts but stressed that no Trump-Putin meeting at the summit had been agreed. The Kremlin said it appreciated the invitation and would consider whether Putin would attend.
EUROPEAN CONCERNS
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned efforts to normalize relations with Putin while Russian forces continue their invasion of Ukraine, saying such an approach was “the wrong path.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also expressed concern, saying he would support Putin’s participation if it contributed to a just peace but feared Moscow could instead interpret the invitation as encouragement to continue its military campaign.
The EU’s executive European Commission said the 27-nation bloc, itself a G20 member, would continue using the forum to condemn Russia’s invasion regardless of who attends. Putin has not attended a G20 summit in person since Osaka, Japan, in 2019.
The invitation highlights a widening difference in approach between Washington and European governments that have sought to keep Putin internationally isolated since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
ENERGY TRUCE
The diplomatic initiative comes as Washington presses Russia and Ukraine to consider a limited ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after meeting Trump in New York that Kyiv was prepared to halt attacks on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stopped striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Rubio acknowledged that the two sides target different types of facilities. Ukraine has increasingly attacked Russian oil refineries and other installations linked to Moscow’s energy revenues, while Russian attacks have damaged Ukraine’s electricity network and other civilian infrastructure.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, however, said Moscow would not halt military operations while negotiations were underway, suggesting significant obstacles remain to even a limited ceasefire.
SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
Zelenskyy has said the G20 gathering could provide an opportunity for a trilateral meeting involving himself, Trump and Putin if an agreement can be reached on such a format.
Russia has so far shown little enthusiasm for such a three-way summit, while Trump has repeatedly argued that direct engagement with both leaders could help end the war.
Russia was expelled from what was then the Group of Eight (G8) after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula but remains a member of the broader G20 grouping, which also includes China, India, Saudi Arabia, the United States and major European economies.
The Kremlin has not yet said whether Putin will accept Washington’s invitation to travel to Miami.
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