Russian media, led by the Kremlin-linked Moskovsky Komsomolets, say Vladimir Putin is unlikely to accept Donald Trump’s invitation to the G20 in Miami, calling a visit "unnecessary and even harmful." The Kremlin says it welcomed the offer but has not decided. European leaders warn the invitation risks normalizing Russian aggression amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Diplomats and Trump envoys are engaging Moscow, but analysts warn diplomacy alone may not end the fighting.
Russian Media Say Putin Unlikely To Accept Trump’s G20 Invitation, Call Visit “Unnecessary and Even Harmful”
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely seen as unlikely to accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to the G20 summit in Miami, according to a Kremlin-linked newspaper that argued such a trip would be "unnecessary and even harmful." The Kremlin said it welcomed the invitation but has not yet decided whether Putin will attend the summit beginning Dec. 14.
Mixed Signals From Moscow
Moskovsky Komsomolets, a mass-circulation daily often described as Kremlin-linked, published an opinion piece by Mikhail Rostovsky suggesting a Miami visit would not serve Moscow’s interests while the war in Ukraine continues. "Ahead Russia has not peace, but war," the op-ed said, adding that recent diplomatic activity aimed at ending the conflict amounted largely to "white noise." The paper also warned that a high-profile appearance at the G20 could be used by rival leaders to ostracize Russia.
"From the point of view of the Kremlin's interests, [a trip to Miami is] completely unnecessary and even harmful," the op-ed said.
International Reaction
Some world leaders criticized the invitation as a potential normalization of Russian aggression nearly five years into Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that inviting Putin could be interpreted by Moscow as encouragement to continue its actions against Ukraine. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called it "the wrong path to normalize people who are starting wars."
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, said Putin’s presence at the G20 would be "an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president, but with other world leaders." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the invitation as "kind" but reiterated that no decision had been taken.
Diplomacy and Limits
Despite the lack of a formal agreement on attendance, Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have engaged in shuttle diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine, meeting Putin at the Kremlin on Sept. 5. Both sides described progress, but Kremlin rhetoric suggests little movement from Moscow’s maximalist demands that Kyiv make major concessions.
Analysts stress that keeping diplomatic channels open is important. Elina Beketova, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Newsweek that such channels "need to remain open," while warning that diplomacy alone is unlikely to halt Russian attacks unless the cost of continuing the war outweighs the perceived benefits for Moscow.
Background: A trip to Miami would be Putin’s first visit to the contiguous United States; he previously met with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 2025. The G20 brings together major and emerging economies annually; Putin last attended in 2019.
Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin and the White House for comment.
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