Trump Invites Putin To December G20 In Miami, Rubio Says — Talks Aim To Ease Ukraine Conflict

President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 leaders' summit in Miami this December, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday.

Rubio made the announcement in New York shortly after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, saying the invitation is part of broader U.S. efforts to bring parties together to seek an end to Russia's more-than-four-year war in Ukraine.

“In order to solve problems, you have to meet with the people that you disagree with or the people that you might have some issues with,” Rubio told reporters, adding: “So we've invited President Putin to the G20. We think it's an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders. We hope that's an invitation he'll accept.”

The meeting with Lavrov came ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled address to the UN, where Zelensky is expected to press for improved air defenses to counter repeated Russian drone and missile attacks.

Speaking to the UN Security Council, Lavrov reiterated that Moscow will not pause its military operation in Ukraine.

“We are not going to have a pause in our special military operation,” he said, accusing some European countries of seeking to use any halt to supply Kyiv with weapons.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga responded sharply, telling the council that Lavrov's comments "said it all" and warning that “Russia's war against Europe is no longer hybrid. Instead of safeguarding peace, Russia is spreading war. That is everyone's problem.”

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, 51 countries — including France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada — issued a joint declaration reaffirming support for Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who read the statement alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Andriy Sybiga, said: “We are particularly concerned by the attacks in the Black Sea.” The declaration also accused Russia of trying to choke off Ukrainian grain exports and called for steps to protect commercial shipping and critical infrastructure.

Rubio urged Moscow and Kyiv to consider a limited energy ceasefire as a step toward wider negotiations. He said both sides have shown interest in a temporary pause on strikes targeting energy infrastructure. President Zelensky has told journalists he would be prepared to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow reciprocated, after President Trump encouraged restraint over attacks on diesel refineries.

After meeting with Mr. Trump, Mr. Zelensky said that Washington and Kyiv want the war to end "before winter." Rubio also noted that while the U.S. and Russian presidents have spoken by telephone on multiple occasions, they have not met in person recently.

Separately, Rubio warned of risks in the Middle East, saying the last thing Israel or the wider region needs is for the West Bank to become an additional crisis or flare-up of violence.

Reporting from the UN General Assembly sidelines. Source: Statements by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ukraine's Andriy Sybiga, and associated joint declaration by 51 countries.