The United States intends to extend an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the upcoming G20 summit in Miami, according to a U.S. official, though Donald Trump said he is skeptical that Putin will actually show up.

Such an invitation would signal a notable shift in how Western nations are dealing with Putin, who has largely been isolated internationally since launching the 2022 invasion of Ukraine—though not by Trump.

As host of this year’s Group of 20 gathering, the United States is preparing for a high-profile summit scheduled for December in Florida, a state Trump calls home.

“All G20 members will be invited to attend ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit,” a senior Trump administration official said in a statement.

When asked later about the invitation, Trump appeared uncertain about whether Putin would participate.

“I don’t know that he’s coming. I doubt he’d come, to be honest with you,” Trump said.

Still, Trump indicated he would welcome Putin’s presence, arguing it could be beneficial.

“If he came, it would be probably very helpful.”

He also revisited his criticism of former President Barack Obama for removing Russia from what was then the G8, a group of major industrialized democracies, after Moscow’s 2014 move into Ukraine.

“President Putin, he was very offended by that – rightfully,” Trump said.

Trump pointed to a prior meeting with Putin in Alaska in August, marking the Russian leader’s first visit to Western territory since the start of the war.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has made efforts to reopen diplomatic channels with Moscow in hopes of bringing the Ukraine conflict to an end.

Although he initially pledged to resolve the war within 24 hours, those efforts have yet to produce significant breakthroughs, despite multiple rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials.

Trump has frequently faulted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of refusing to give up territory as part of a potential settlement.

Earlier Thursday, the Kremlin said no decision has been made regarding Putin’s attendance at the summit.

“No such decisions have been made yet,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow.

Russia has received an invitation at “the highest level” for the Dec. 14–15 summit in Miami, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin, as reported by the state news agency RIA Novosti.

Putin has avoided travel to certain countries since 2023, when the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest related to the war, raising the possibility of detention in nations that recognize the court’s authority.

The United States is not a member of the ICC and has opposed its actions under Trump’s leadership.

Putin has not attended a G20 leaders’ summit since 2019, first due to the coronavirus pandemic and later because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.