A Kremlin-controlled Russian paper says Vladimir Putin is unlikely to accept Trump's invitation to the Miami G20, starting Dec. 14, arguing a visit without a Ukraine settlement would be “unnecessary and even harmful.” The Kremlin says no decision has been made.
The argument appeared in an op-ed by Mikhail Rostovsky in Moskovsky Komsomolets, a paper with a daily circulation of about 1 million. It said European and Canadian G20 leaders could use Putin's presence to ostracize Russia, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom it said was likely to attend, could turn it into a public spectacle. The paper does not necessarily represent the Kremlin's thinking.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Putin's attendance would offer a chance to engage with Trump and other leaders. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the invitation might encourage Moscow to continue its actions toward Ukraine, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called normalizing leaders who start wars “the wrong path.”
