Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandre Pankin had said on Wednesday that his country had been invited to participate in the summit “at the highest level.”
A senior White House official told AFP on Thursday that all G20 member states, including Russia, would be invited to the summit scheduled for December in Florida, while clarifying that formal invitations had not yet been sent. “No formal invitations have been issued yet but all G20 members will be invited to attend ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit,” planned at a golf resort owned by the Trump family, said the source who requested anonymity.
Context: Russia’s invitation to the G20 summit and uncertainty around the participation of President Vladimir Putin.
Fact Check: The summit is set to take place in Florida at a golf resort owned by the Trump family.
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexandre Pankin, cited by Russian news agencies, had stated on Wednesday that his country had been invited to participate in the summit “at the highest level,” specifying that the question of President Vladimir Putin’s participation had not been resolved. Donald Trump expressed “doubts” that his Russian counterpart would attend the G20 summit. “To be honest, I doubt he will come,” said the American president when asked by a journalist if the Russian president had been invited. “I believe we should speak to everyone,” added Mr. Trump without confirming if an invitation had been extended.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the issue of President Putin’s potential participation had not been settled. “No decision of this kind has been made yet, but Russia has participated in every summit at the appropriate level,” said Mr. Peskov during his daily press briefing. “As the summit approaches, a decision will be made on the format of our participation.” Under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for “war crimes” in the context of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin did not attend the previous G20 summit in Johannesburg in November 2025. His economic adviser, Maxim Oreshkin, represented Moscow in South Africa.
Fact Check: Vladimir Putin did not attend the previous G20 summit in Johannesburg in November 2025.
