Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that inviting Vladimir Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami could be seen by Moscow as a green light to continue its aggression in Ukraine. US Senator Marco Rubio said he hopes Putin will attend to engage with US President Donald Trump and other leaders. Tusk said he would support an invitation only if it genuinely advanced a just peace, but warned he fears it might instead embolden Russia.
Tusk Warns Inviting Putin To G20 Could Embolden Russian Aggression
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks to the media, near the site where an unidentified flying object, believed to be a Russian missile, as Tusk said on Thursday, fell after violating Polish airspace in a field near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, near Lublin, Poland, July 30, 2026. REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki/File Photo
WARSAW, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Thursday that inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami, Florida, could be interpreted by Moscow as encouragement to continue its aggression in Ukraine. Tusk said the invitation risks having the opposite effect of its intended diplomatic purpose.
US Senator Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he hoped Putin would accept the invitation, noting the summit would offer an opportunity for the Russian leader to meet with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders.
"If inviting Putin to the G20 could bring us closer to a just peace, I would be absolutely in favour of it," Tusk told reporters. "However — and this is both my concern and what my experience tells me — at this stage, Russia might well view it as an encouragement to continue its aggressive policies. That is what I fear."
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia would consider the invitation. The comments underscore the delicate balance facing Western leaders: whether engaging Putin on the world stage could help de-escalate the war in Ukraine or instead be read by Moscow as diplomatic validation of its actions.
Why It Matters
Tusk's caution reflects broader unease among some NATO and EU members about offering international platforms to Russian officials while hostilities continue. The debate over attendance at the Miami G20 will likely shape diplomatic strategy ahead of the summit.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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