A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Friday, September 25, 2026, urging him to rescind an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders’ Summit. The summit is scheduled to take place on December 14 and 15 at the president's resort in Miami, Florida. The lawmakers expressed concern that the invitation could legitimize the Russian government while it continues its war in Ukraine.
The request comes four years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and follows the July death of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a prominent supporter of Ukraine. Earlier this year, President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which increased economic penalties against Russia. Despite these sanctions, the senators noted that several Russian delegations, including those involving sanctioned officials, have recently attended government meetings in North Carolina and Texas.
The letter was led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The signatories included seven Republicans: Mitch McConnell (KY), John Cornyn (TX), Roger Wicker (MS), Jerry Moran (KS), Thom Tillis (NC), John Curtis (UT), and Alan Armstrong (OK). The senators argued that providing Putin with a platform in the United States reduces his incentive to agree to a ceasefire and cited reports that Russia is assisting Iran’s military in targeting U.S. service members.
The outcome will also influence the day-to-day operations of federal agencies such as the State and Treasury Departments, which must determine how to handle sanctioned individuals attending international forums on American soil. If the invitation remains, it could set a precedent for "business-as-usual" treatment of sanctioned leaders, potentially affecting the enforcement of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. This law, passed earlier in 2026, was intended to leverage economic and political isolation to force peace negotiations; the senators argue that hosting Putin undermines these legislative goals.
What happens next depends on the White House response to the Senate's inquiry. The G20 Leaders’ Summit is set for December 14–15, 2026, in Miami. Before then, other G20 events, including a Trade Ministerial and a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, are scheduled to occur. The senators have asked for a commitment that no sanctioned Russian officials be permitted to participate in any of these upcoming engagements until a peace agreement is reached in Ukraine. The White House has not yet issued a formal response to the letter.
Detailed paragraphs: The senators specifically highlighted the recent presence of a delegation led by sanctioned Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at a Finance Ministerial in Asheville, North Carolina. They also noted Russian participation at an Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill and an Energy Abundance Ministerial in Houston. The letter stated that the G20 is intended to foster cooperation on global economic stability, which they argued is incompatible with Russia's current military actions and "hybrid warfare activities" in Europe.
The group of Republicans joining the letter includes high-ranking members such as Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. Their participation reflects a continuation of Senate Republican support for Ukraine, occurring as some lawmakers have become more willing to challenge the administration's foreign policy decisions. The lawmakers concluded that the U.S. must maintain "strong economic and political pressure" to bring the conflict to a resolution.