Trump says Putin attending G20 summit "could be helpful," Kremlin: Putin may or may not attend

U.S. President Trump stated that he expects Russian President Putin will not attend the upcoming G20 summit hosted at his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, later this year, but added that Putin's presence could still be useful. Early Thursday, The Washington Post reported that Russia would be invited to both ministerial-level meetings and the leaders' summit. Since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent war in Ukraine, Russia has been absent from the annual G20 summits.

Trump said he was unaware of the invitation, yet expressed skepticism about whether Putin would actually attend. "I don’t know anything about the invitation, but if he were actually invited, I think it should be discussed with everyone," he said, adding, "If he comes, that could be helpful."

Since Trump’s return to the White House, he has consistently attempted to mediate a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, though he admitted that reaching such an agreement is far more difficult than he initially anticipated.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said Thursday, "As a G20 member, Russia has been invited to all working-level meetings so far. President Trump has clearly stated that Russia is welcome to attend all G20 meetings, and the United States will work toward hosting a successful and productive summit."

In Moscow, on Friday, Kremlin press secretary Peskov said Russia would be fully and appropriately represented at the G20 summit to be held in Miami.

When asked whether Putin would attend the summit in the United States, Peskov stated, "President Putin might go to Miami as a G20 member, or he might not—alternatively, other Russian representatives could attend. But in any case, the Russian Federation will be fully and properly represented at this summit."

Peskov added, "Especially considering the ongoing and emerging crises, there will be plenty of topics to discuss by the time the summit takes place."

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1863396764493824/

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