Trump says he would invite Zelenskyy to G20 summit in Florida
14:52, 01/11/2026, Sunday
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US President Donald Trump said Saturday he would be willing to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G20 summit in Florida this December, following Washington's earlier decision to extend an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the administration seeks to balance diplomatic outreach to both warring nations.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he would welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G20 summit in Florida this December, extending an invitation to the wartime leader shortly after Washington confirmed it had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the same gathering.
Mar-a-Lago remarks
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump confirmed he would extend an invitation to the Ukrainian leader when asked directly by the press pool. "I would. I would. No problem," he replied.
The United States is preparing to host the G20 leaders' summit at the Trump National Doral resort in Miami on December 14-15, bringing together leaders from the world's largest economies.
Diplomatic maneuvering
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in September that Washington had invited Putin to the summit despite Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. Rubio said Saturday that the decision to invite Zelenskyy rested with Trump and indicated that an invitation could be considered if it helped advance diplomatic efforts.
Ukraine is not a G20 member, but Ukrainian representatives have previously participated in meetings of the group as invited guests. No formal invitation to Zelenskyy has yet been announced.
Earlier in his exchange with reporters, Trump said he had spoken with Zelenskyy and expressed optimism about the prospects of ending the war.