‘We hope he’ll accept’: US invites Putin to G20 summit at Trump golf club

Key Points:

• The United States, under the Trump administration, has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December, marking the first major summit with Putin since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• The invitation, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aims to facilitate engagement between Putin, Trump, and other world leaders, despite concerns from Ukraine and European allies about Russia's recent hybrid attacks.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to attend the summit and meet Putin, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and results over words, while continuing to urge global efforts to choke Russia’s revenues.
• Trump is pursuing a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, including halting attacks on Russian oil refineries to ease global energy prices, though Russia continues missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv.
• Recent US congressional sanctions against Russia have been criticized by Democrats for granting Trump broad tariff powers, while some officials question the administration’s approach to isolating Russia amid ongoing conflict.