Trump invites Putin to Miami for first visit to lower 48 since Obama era

• Putin and Trump famously met in Alaska last year, where the two discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Driving the news: Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the invitation after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

• Rubio said the U.S. hopes Putin accepts the invitation to the G20 summit, which is scheduled for Dec. 14-15 at Trump National Doral Miami.

• "We think it's an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders," Rubio said.

Context: Though Russia remains a member of the G20, Putin hasn't attended a summit in person since 2019. He was a virtual attendee in 2023.

Flashback: The last time Putin visited the lower 48 states was in September 2015, when he attended the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

• He held a 90-minute bilateral meeting with then-President Obama behind closed doors. Much of the focus was on the escalating conflict in Syria as well as Ukraine.
• Trump invited Putin to visit Washington, D.C., in 2019, but the trip never materialized.

Between the lines: The U.S. sanctioned Putin after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, creating sanctions-related complications that the administration would have to address for a Miami visit.

• The Treasury Department temporarily authorized otherwise prohibited transactions to support the August 2025 summit in Alaska.

What's next: Reuters reported earlier this year that the Kremlin said Putin may travel to Miami, or Russia might send another representative.

• The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Wednesday.

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