Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the 2026 G20 summit will be held in his country, despite giving up on a similar plan during his first term. “As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary next year, the United States will have the honor of hosting … the G20 summit right here in America for the first time in nearly 20 years,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

According to Deutsche Welle, Trump plans to host the G7 summit at his own golf resort again, a decision he previously backtracked on after facing criticism for allegedly seeking to profit from his presidency. “There’s no money in it,” Trump said, adding, “We want to make sure it’s good.”

Trump also expressed openness to having Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the 2026 G20 summit. “I would love them to, if they want to,” said Trump, though he noted they would be “observers” and questioned if they would want to come in such capacity.

Both Russia and China are G20 members. In 2024, Xi attended the meeting in Rio de Janeiro in person, while Putin joined via video link. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March 2023, obliging Brazil, a member, to arrest him if he enters the country. The United States is not a member of the ICC.

Trump also confirmed that he will not attend this year’s G20 summit scheduled in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23. Instead, Vice President JD Vance will represent the US. “I won’t be going, JD will be going. Great vice president, and he looks forward to it,” Trump stated to reporters.