Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the US decision to include Russia in the G20 meetings despite criticism from European allies. Rubio spoke after a two-day meeting in Atlanta where a traditional "family photo" was scrapped because some officials refused to pose with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The divide highlights the US attempt to coax Russia into talks versus allies who say they do not want to reward President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.
President Donald Trump stated it was "important that Russia be a part of the G20 conversation." Rubio argued that dialogue is the only way to end the war, which has killed over one million people and disrupted global shipping, energy, and food prices. Rubio's EU counterpart, Kaja Kallas, warned that Putin's potential attendance at the G20 summit in Miami risks normalizing war crimes in Ukraine. Many leaders were unhappy with Trump's announcement to waive some tariffs and sanctions on Russia to allow diesel exports.
Rubio floated the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Putin at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China, citing the need to communicate given Russia's nuclear stockpile. In Atlanta, Lavrov repeated Putin's suggestion that Zelenskyy travel to Moscow, an idea the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly rejected. Rubio said he did not have formal bilateral talks with Lavrov, though photos show they spoke at a reception.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing