Lavrov Rejects Ukraine War Pause as US Invites Putin to G20 Summit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that Moscow will not accept a pause in its military operation in Ukraine. He accused France, Germany, and Poland of failing to guarantee the 2014 agreement between Ukrainian opposition and authorities, claiming Ukraine could have kept its 1991 borders if the Minsk accords had been honored.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Washington has formally invited President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami on December 14-15. Rubio said the invitation offers Putin a chance to engage with President Donald Trump and other leaders, arguing dialogue between adversaries is necessary to solve problems.

“Moscow will not make a pause in its special military operation against Ukraine”

Rubio added both Moscow and Kyiv have expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy sectors, though he acknowledged it would not resolve the war. The Kremlin has not yet responded to the invitation, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has not commented.

Putin has not attended a G20 summit in person since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in 2023 over the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. The only previous Putin-Trump meeting since the war began occurred in Alaska in August 2025 without concrete results.