President Vladimir Putin almost certainly wishes that President Donald Trump had not invited him to attend the Group of 20 summit in December. The Russian leader has good reasons to avoid Miami. That said, if Putin skips the summit at Trump’s Doral hotel, he risks alienating the president.

The Kremlin recognizes as much, a reality reflected by Putin’s failure to announce what he plans to do. Putin’s central concern with Trump’s solicitation is how it catches him between risking international embarrassment and offending the American president.