Rubio confirmed on Thursday that Poland would be invited to the 2026 gathering, saying the country has earned a seat at the table after joining the world’s 20 largest economies.
South Africa, despite being a G20 member, will not be invited, the US administration announced.
In a statement titled "America Welcomes a New G20," Rubio said Washington would invite "friends, neighbors and partners" to the summit and singled out Poland as a key global player.
"We will welcome the world’s largest economies, as well as burgeoning partners and allies, to America’s table," Rubio said. "In particular, Poland, a nation that was once trapped behind the Iron Curtain but now ranks among the world’s 20 largest economies, will be joining us to assume its rightful place in the G20."
It was not immediately clear whether the United States would seek Poland’s formal admission to the G20 or whether Warsaw will attend next year’s summit as a guest.
Rubio added that Poland’s economic rise "is proof that a focus on the future is a better path than one on grievances," and said its partnership with the United States "shows how partnership with the United States and American companies can promote mutual prosperity and growth."
The announcement came after Polish President Karol Nawrocki said in Washington in early September that US President Donald Trump had invited him to next year's G20 summit, which is expected to take place in December 2026 at Trump’s resort in Doral, near Miami, Florida.
Marcin Przydacz, head of Nawrocki’s International Policy Bureau, said at the time that the invitation marked the first step in Poland's push to eventually join the group.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in Miami in September that he had asked the United States to support Poland's bid for full G20 membership.
Speaking after a meeting with Rubio, Sikorski said he made the request because Poland has now reached the status of a trillion-dollar economy.
(ab/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, statedept.substack.com
Click on the audio player above for a report by Agnieszka Bielawska.