14 U.S. senators asked Trump to cancel Putin’s invitation to the G20 summit in Miami

According to The Washington Post, the senators said in the letter that Vladimir Putin’s participation in the G20 summit in the U.S. could legitimize and normalize a regime that continues to attack civilian targets in Ukraine every day. They also wrote that Putin bears sole responsibility for unleashing Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

The lawmakers recalled that Putin, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and other members of the Russian delegation are under U.S. sanctions for actions deemed a threat to national security. In their view, if Putin is not isolated from the international community, he may not have sufficient incentives to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the invitation to Putin on Wednesday, saying it would provide an opportunity to talk not only with the president, but also with other world leaders. Last month, Anton Siluanov’s participation in a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Asheville, North Carolina, surprised other participants and outraged European Union countries, which demanded that the Russian minister not be included in the group photo.

The G20 leaders’ summit will take place on December 14–15 at the Trump National Doral complex, owned by Trump’s family. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed Washington’s decision and said the invitation would be a test for Putin of whether he is ready for serious negotiations.

Sources

• Material: theins.ru