Kremlin Welcomes U.S. Invitation for Putin to Attend December G20 Summit in Miami
The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami, and the Kremlin has confirmed it welcomes the move, though no final decision on attendance has been made.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomes the United States' decision to invite President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit taking place in Miami.
Speaking to the Interfax news agency, Peskov said Moscow is aware of the invitation and grateful for it, but noted that a final decision on whether Putin will attend has not yet been made. He added that further details would be worked out through diplomatic channels.
Washington confirms the invite
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on September 23 that Washington had extended an invitation to the Russian president to join the G20 summit, scheduled for December 14–15 in Miami. Rubio said the gathering would give Putin a chance to engage not only with the U.S. president but with other world leaders as well.
Attendance in question
Reports had already suggested Putin's travel plans may not include Miami. Bloomberg previously cited sources saying that Putin intends to travel to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit but would skip the G20 gathering in the United States. This leaves open the question of whether Putin will ultimately take up Washington's invitation.
