A group of 14 senators, including seven Republicans, are openly questioning President Donald Trump’s decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the annual G20 summit, which is set to be held in Miami in December.
The bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Trump on Thursday expressing “serious concern” for the invitation after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday the Russian president would be invited. The letter outlined national security concerns as well as a discomfort to offer Putin “the stature and legitimacy” to appear at the world leaders’ summit.
Utah Sen. John Curtis was among the seven Republicans who signed on to the letter, which was led by Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
“President Putin bears sole responsibility for launching Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine,” the letter states. “Allowing him to participate in a G20 Summit in the United States raises serious concerns about legitimizing and normalizing a government that continues to attack Ukrainian civilian targets every day.”
The senators also cited concerns with Russia’s “unambiguously clear” intentions to support Iran in its war in the Middle East, particularly with efforts to harm U.S. service members.
“Numerous public reports have indicated that Russia is helping Iran’s military target American service members in the Middle East,” the senators wrote. “Russia has also increased its hybrid warfare activities throughout Europe in recent months while simultaneously conducting deadly aerial attacks against Ukraine’s cities and critical infrastructure.”
Putin and several other members traveling in his delegation have already been sanctioned by the United States after Congress passed a sanctions package earlier this month. Those sanctions extend to Anton Siluanov, the Russian minister of finance, who is expected to travel with Putin.
Russia’s participation in the Group of 20 has been under scrutiny since it first invaded Ukraine in 2022. Former President Joe Biden initially called for Russia’s removal from the group, and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said its membership should be reevaluated.
However, Russia has never had its membership revoked, and Ukraine has never been inducted into the group. Since then, the war has escalated and the U.S. has taken further steps to deter Russian aggression.
It’s not clear whether the Trump administration will take the steps to withdraw the G20 invite. The Deseret News contacted the White House for comment.