The Kremlin has hinted that Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in December, which is set to be held at President Donald Trump’s Doral golf club in Miami, Florida. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television correspondent Pavel Zarubin that Putin “may go to Miami as a member of the G20, or he may not go, or another Russian representative may go.” This statement came a day after Trump said it would be helpful if Putin attended the summit.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Russia has accepted an invitation to the next G20 summit, but it is still unclear whether Putin will attend personally or send one of his deputies. A senior White House official told the Daily Beast that “no formal invitations have been issued at this time, but Russia is a G20 member and will be invited to attend ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit.”
Trump and Putin have a complicated history. Trump hosted Putin at a military base in Alaska last summer for a summit focused on ending the war in Ukraine. Despite this, their relationship has had its rough patches, with Trump at times growing frustrated when Ukraine negotiations did not go his way, even calling Putin “very nice most of the time, but meaningless.”
Putin attending the G20 at Trump’s golf club would be a significant diplomatic moment
The possibility of Putin showing up at Trump’s own golf club is drawing a lot of attention, and it is easy to understand why. The two leaders have had an unusual relationship, with Trump often going out of his way to maintain a friendly tone with the Russian president. Earlier, Trump dropped a bombshell answer about Putin’s mysterious invitation that caught many by surprise.
On the Ukraine conflict, Trump has previously downplayed the potential impact of Russian intelligence on the war, saying, “if they are, they’re not doing a very good job.” At the same time, the US Treasury has recently moved to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil, a step that has been welcomed by the Kremlin. These developments suggest that the relationship between Washington and Moscow is shifting, even if slowly.
Russia’s participation in the G20 summit is confirmed, but the question of who will represent the country is still open. Putin attending in person would be a much bigger deal than sending a deputy, both symbolically and diplomatically. The summit at Trump’s Doral golf club is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about international gatherings in recent memory.
The Kremlin’s decision to keep Putin’s attendance open as a possibility, rather than confirming or denying it outright, appears to be a calculated move. By leaving the door open, Russia keeps itself at the center of the conversation around the G20 without committing to anything. Trump has also made headlines recently for calling NATO a paper tiger and suggesting Putin already knew it, adding more context to the state of his foreign policy outlook.
As December approaches, all eyes will be on whether Putin makes the trip to Florida. If he does attend, it will mark a notable moment in US-Russia relations, taking place on American soil and at a venue personally tied to Trump. For now, the world waits to see if the Kremlin follows through or sends someone else in Putin’s place.
Published: Apr 25, 2026 08:00 am