When the White House issued an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming G20 summit in Miami, officials stressed that the meeting would not deviate from the standard procedures and formats of a multilateral gathering. Still, the State Department noted that the Kremlin’s representation at the G20 would be welcome. Given that Putin has been barred from participating in international meetings since Russia invaded Ukraine, it is clear that the White House sees value in restoring Russia’s participation in major international meetings, at least in the format of the G20. For its part, the Kremlin has made it clear that it interprets the Trump administration’s extension of the G20 invitation as an indication that Putin and Trump will be able to discuss the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

What Could the Invitation Bring?

Inviting Putin to attend the G20 in Miami may open opportunities to shift the diplomacy surrounding the Ukraine conflict. For now, the US appears to be willing to replace the strategy of overtures that relied on economic sanctions and diplomatic shunning to bring about a political solution to the conflict with one that combines greater engagement and flexibility towards Russia and other major powers. It remains to be seen, however, if shifting from the “long-pressure, no-engagement” strategy to diplomacy that incorporates greater, more direct Great Power engagement will help to facilitate a negotiated political settlement.

According to the State Department, Putin has received a formal invitation to the December G20 summit. This event could allow Trump to engage with Putin and other world leaders. For now, the Kremlin has stated that it is pleased with the invitation but has not announced Putin’s attendance. It is Russian policy not to accept talks concerning a simple cease-fire but to focus on negotiations dealing with a political settlement to the war. As of now, the US and Russia have not approved of each other’s policies concerning the Ukraine war. However, each country has shown interest in diplomacy by means of the summit. For now, the conference has the potential to provide the US and Russia with some diplomatic tools even if the two countries have not approved of each other’s position on the Ukraine war.

From Russia’s perspective, the outcomes have been positive. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western countries adopted a strategy to boost the economic and political costs of the war to ultimately shrink Russia’s foreign policy........

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