Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
A month before the G20 summit an APEC summit will take place in China.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on September 23 that Washington invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit.
The high-profile gathering takes place December 14 and 15 in Doral, near Miami.
Speaking shortly after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Rubio highlighted the broader purpose of the summit.
He noted the event offers Putin a chance “to engage not only with the [U.S.] president but also with world leaders.”
Rubio expressed hope that the Russian leader would accept the offer. The move marks a notable diplomatic step between both nations as international tensions remain high.
Decision in Moscow
Moscow responded quickly to the invitation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed newspaper Izvestia that Russia values the outreach from American officials.
“Yes, we saw the statement, and we appreciate the invitation. It will certainly be considered, and at the appropriate time, we will discuss with our American counterparts through the relevant channels the possibility of accepting the invitation,” Peskov told Izvestia, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.
In separate comments to news agency Interfax, the Kremlin spokesman reaffirmed Moscow’s positive stance. He emphasized that official diplomatic channels will handle the next steps.
“We’ve heard about the invitation. We’re grateful to the U.S. for the invitation, and we welcome it. We’ll make a decision, and then we’ll work out the details through diplomatic channels,” Peskov told Interfax.
Travel plans uncertain
Whether Putin will travel to Florida remains uncertain.
Bloomberg previously reported that Russian officials were preparing for Putin to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China while skipping the G20.
Upcoming diplomatic talks will now determine whether those travel plans change before December. For now, both sides are keeping their options open.
