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President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit of world leaders in Miami this December, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday, even as the war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending.
Rubio disclosed the invitation to reporters in New York, framing it as part of a broader push to bring Moscow and Washington into direct dialogue.
"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," he said, adding that Putin's presence would give him "an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders." Rubio said he hoped Putin would accept.
The announcement came shortly after Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a New York hotel on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, and just ahead of a scheduled address to the UN by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected to renew his appeal for stronger air defenses against Russian drone and missile attacks.
Speaking to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Lavrov made clear Moscow has no intention of halting what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
"We are not going to have a pause in our special military operation," he said, accusing European governments of seeking to use any pause in fighting to "pump the Kyiv regime with weapons."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga responded to Lavrov's remarks before the council, saying they "said it all."
He went further, telling members that "Russia's war against Europe is no longer hybrid. Instead of safeguarding peace, Russia is spreading war. That is everyone's problem."
In a joint declaration issued on the sidelines of the General Assembly, 51 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada, reaffirmed their support for Ukraine.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas read the statement alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Sybiga, saying: "We are particularly concerned by the attacks in the Black Sea."
The declaration accused Russia of trying to choke off Ukrainian grain exports and called for measures to protect commercial shipping and critical infrastructure.
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Rubio said Wednesday that both Russia and Ukraine have expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering energy infrastructure, a step he said would not end the war outright but could serve as a platform for a broader agreement.
Zelenskyy has told journalists Ukraine is prepared to stop striking Russian energy facilities if Moscow does the same, after Trump urged him to halt attacks on Russian diesel refineries.
Following a meeting with Trump on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said the United States and Ukraine both want the war to end "before winter."
Trump and Putin have spoken by phone on several occasions since Trump returned to office, but the two leaders last met in person in 2025.
Separately, Rubio addressed tensions in the Middle East, warning that instability in the West Bank posed a risk to the wider region.
"The last thing Israel needs or the region needs is an additional crisis or an additional friction point, we understand that that's the case and that's what's happening," he said.
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