U.S. Senators Demand Explanation for Putin G20 Invitation

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is demanding an explanation from Donald Trump regarding his invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for an upcoming G20 summit in Miami. Led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, the lawmakers argue that Putin should be barred from international forums held within the United States because of Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

The senators expressed concern that Putin's participation would legitimize and normalize a government that continues to attack Ukrainian civilian targets. They further cited reports of Russian hybrid warfare in Europe and Russian assistance to Iran in targeting American service members in the Middle East as reasons for the exclusion.

In addition to barring the Russian president, the group urged the administration to exclude sanctioned Russian officials from the events. The lawmakers stated this is necessary to maintain economic and political pressure on Russia to enter peace negotiations.