In brief
- The US has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami.
- Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is preparing to accept an award from the UN.
A lethal volley of Russian drone attacks rained down on Kyiv, just hours before confirmation that the Trump administration is hoping to secure an RSVP from Russian President Vladimir Putin for the G20 Summit in Miami.
US President Donald Trump may also use the summit to meet again with China's leader Xi Jinping who is currently in Washington, while many of the world's leaders are in New York for the United Nations' General Assembly, including Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese.
It's the latest attempt by the US president to coax Moscow back to international institutions.
If Putin accepts the invite to the December summit, it could mean he is there with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has regularly attended the event as a guest in recent years.
As the war against Ukraine continues to rage, extending into a fifth year of fighting, Zelenskyy told the United Nations General Assembly that Putin is "patient zero" spreading war across the globe.
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Zelenskyy warned that the more freedom Putin has, the more dangerous the Kremlin will become, and urged other nations to keep up financial sanctions to cut off Russia‘s money-making options.
As Zelenskyy prepared to deliver his takedown of the Putin presidency, he was signing a security agreement with Australia and accepting another $60 million in support from the government.
The extra money is a small contribution, given the extraordinary military tab the conflict is running up.
The pair embraced, and Albanese became emotional talking about the impact of the war on the Ukrainian people.
"I think Russia thought it could just steamroll through in a matter of weeks, and what we have found is that the people of Ukraine were underestimated," Albanese said.
"Can I pay tribute to my friend President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, who are inspiring the world with their bravery, with their courage, with their commitment to defend their sovereign nation.
"This is an issue not just for Europe. This is an issue for the world, because if a large, more powerful country like Russia is allowed to profit from breaking the international rules of law with its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, then that sets a bad precedent for the entire world."
Albanese will be one of the recipients of the Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award, at an event being held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
"The world we live in is changing rapidly," he is expected to say, according to a draft copy of the speech.
"The post-1945 world order is no longer fit for purpose. Universal institutions that remain necessary are now not always sufficient for the challenges we face."
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have pushed up global energy costs.
"War and disruption can drive up energy prices and interrupt supply chains far beyond the conflict. The pandemic taught the same lesson," Albanese will say.
"Governments must build the capacity to withstand shocks they did not cause and cannot control."
Chinese President Xi Jinping flew into Washington today for critical talks at the White House, with a focus on the development of artificial intelligence.
"How Washington and Beijing manage their relationship matters profoundly," Albanese's draft address says.
"But it cannot be the only lens through which we see the region."
"The Indo-Pacific is not a chessboard on which superpowers move the pieces."
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