Sen. Moran Joins Colleagues in Raising Concerns About Putin’s Invitation to the G20 Summit

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - joined Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) in raising concerns to President Trump regarding the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders' Summit in Miami, Florida, in December.

Specifically, the senators questioned the invitation of Vladimir Putin to participate in a G20 meeting on U.S. soil, citing Russia's continued attacks against Ukrainian civilians and targeting of Americans in Ukraine and around the world. The senators also urged that Putin and other sanctioned Russian officials not be permitted to participate in G20 events or similar international forums held in the United States.

"President Putin bears sole responsibility for launching Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine," wrote the senators. "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."

"This invitation also comes at a time when Russia's intentions are unambiguously clear," continued the senators. "Numerous public reports have indicated that Russia is helping Iran's military target American service members in the Middle East. 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."

"The United States must put strong economic and political pressure on President Putin in order to force him to the negotiating table for serious peace talks," concluded the senators. "We commend your signing of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which gives you additional tools to hold the Putin regime accountable. However, if President Putin and his government are not isolated on the international stage, what incentive does Russia have to agree to a ceasefire?"

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear President Trump,

We write to express our serious concern regarding reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders' Summit on December 14 and 15 in Miami, Florida. We were already disappointed by the recent participation of Russian government delegations in a series of G20 meetings across the United States, including a delegation led by sanctioned Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the Finance Ministerial in Asheville, North Carolina; a Russian delegation at the Commerce Department Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and a Russian delegation at the Energy Abundance Ministerial in Houston, Texas. We raise the same concerns noted in an April 3 bipartisan Senate letter, which outlined the national security implications of allowing a delegation of sanctioned members of the Russian Duma to visit the United States for official meetings. Given President Putin's continued actions against the Ukrainian people and U.S. national security interests, we urge you to reconsider granting President Putin the stature and legitimacy to appear in the United States as a world leader at the G20 Leaders' Summit.

President Putin bears sole responsibility for launching Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. 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. This invitation also comes at a time when Russia's intentions are unambiguously clear. Numerous public reports have indicated that Russia is helping Iran's military target American service members in the Middle East. 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.

President Putin and Anton Siluanov, in addition to others traveling as part of the respective delegations for G20 meetings, are sanctioned under Executive Order 14024 for engaging in conduct deemed to be harmful to U.S. national security. It is troubling that, despite being sanctioned, these individuals have been given access to participate in G20 forums hosted in the United States. The G20 is intended to foster international cooperation on critical issues including finance, trade and global economic stability. As Russia continues its war against Ukraine and refuses to agree to a just and lasting peace agreement, its government should not be afforded a business-as-usual treatment alongside other nations at G20 events.

The United States must put strong economic and political pressure on President Putin in order to force him to the negotiating table for serious peace talks. We commend your signing of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which gives you additional tools to hold the Putin regime accountable. However, if President Putin and his government are not isolated on the international stage, what incentive does Russia have to agree to a ceasefire?

As the United States holds the G20 presidency for the remainder of the calendar year, we urge you to reverse course and rescind the invitation to President Putin and ensure that other sanctioned Russian officials, who bear responsibility for Russia's war against Ukraine, are not permitted to participate in upcoming G20 engagements, including the Trade Ministerial, Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and Leaders' Summit, until Russia agrees to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Thank you for your consideration.

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