US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Washington’s decision to invite Russia to G20 meetings, arguing that continued contact with Moscow was necessary for diplomacy over the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference in Atlanta after the G20 ministerial meeting, he said the United States needed to communicate with both sides if it was to help secure a peaceful settlement.
According to European Pravda, journalists questioned Rubio about criticism from his European counterparts over Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s attendance at the ministerial gathering that week. They also asked about the invitation extended to Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the G20 summit in Miami. Rubio presented Russia’s participation as important to US efforts to bring the war to an end.
Rubio argued that a negotiated agreement between Russia and Ukraine required the ability to speak with each country, and that such communication depended on continued interaction. He described Lavrov’s presence at the ministerial meeting as a further opening for contact with the Russian system. His response linked engagement at the G20 to the broader diplomatic effort surrounding the conflict.
He also rejected the idea that holding talks amounted to endorsing the other side’s conduct. Rubio said the president did not regard meeting or speaking with someone as granting legitimacy to everything that person did or represented. He maintained that the desire for a peace agreement could not be separated from the need for dialogue with Moscow.
The United States was willing to help mediate an end to the conflict, Rubio said, but doing so required access to both parties. He stressed that Washington was also in frequent contact with Ukraine, saying US officials spoke with the Ukrainian side at least as much as, and possibly more than, with Russia.
Beyond the effort to end the war, Rubio pointed to the nuclear capabilities of Russia and the United States. He said the two countries needed to preserve dialogue to avoid dangerous escalation.
European officials voiced criticism during the gathering. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Lavrov’s position offered no sign that Russia was willing to enter peace talks. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also rebuked Lavrov at the meeting.
Lavrov arrived in the United States on 30 October to attend the ministerial talks. Washington has invited Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami, where a meeting with Trump is possible.
