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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
The United States has invited Poland to attend next year’s G20 summit in Miami, saying that the country has earned a place there after joining the world’s 20 largest economies. Meanwhile, South Africa, with which Washington currently has tense relations, will not be invited despite being a G20 member.
Poland has recently been pushing for acceptance into the G20, especially after its economy surpassed $1 trillion this year to become the 20th largest in the world, overtaking Switzerland and chasing down Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands.
Poland is this year joining the world's 20 largest economies, new IMF data show.
Its GDP has risen to over $1 trillion, meaning that it has passed Switzerland to take 20th spot https://t.co/JnuAQ3OCp0
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) October 15, 2025
In a statement on Wednesday, titled “America Welcomes a New G20”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Poland would be invited to participate in next year’s summit. That does not mean formal membership of the group; non-member countries are regularly invited to attend summits.
“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,” wrote Rubio.
“Poland’s success is proof that a focus on the future is a better path than one on grievances,” he added. “It shows how partnership with the United States and American companies can promote mutual prosperity and growth.”
Rubio immediately added that “the contrast with South Africa is stark”. He said that the South African “economy has stagnated under its burdensome regulatory regime driven by racial grievance” and “corruption”.
The US would therefore not be inviting South Africa to Miami, just as Washington boycotted the recent G20 summit in Johannesburg.
In early September, after a visit to the White House, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that Donald Trump had invited Poland to attend the Miami G20 summit, though only now has that been officially confirmed by Rubio.
Donald Trump has suggested the US could move more troops to Poland during a meeting with Polish President @NawrockiKn, who is on his first foreign trip since taking office.
"We’re with Poland all the way and we will help Poland protect itself," said Trump https://t.co/uONZ7I0xPt
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) September 3, 2025
Foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, who was in the US at the same time as Nawrocki, said that he had discussed with US official the possibility of Poland joining the G20.
“Due to the fact that Poland has joined the so-called club of trillion-dollar economies, I tried to convince the United States, which will hold the presidency of the G20 group next year, to invite us to this group,” said Sikorski.
“We have the right to do this not only as one of the 20 largest economies in the world, but also as a country that presents a political and intellectual argument, because we are the country that has successfully transformed from a planned economy to a free economy,” he added.
The G20, which was founded in 1999, currently includes 19 countries as well as the European Union and African Union. It meets annually to discuss issues relating to the global economy.
Poland has emerged as Europe’s undisputed growth champion over the past 35 years.
In the first part of a new series of articles and podcasts, @AlicjaPtak4 explores the reasons behind Poland's rapid economic development, and the dangers that may lie ahead https://t.co/bW3bnV7Ozn
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) July 7, 2025
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: White House (under BY 3.0 US)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
