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Siluanov at G20
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov made an unexpected in-person appearance at the US-hosted G20 finance leaders’ talks in Asheville, North Carolina, his first physical attendance since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“European outrage over the Russian finance minister, Anton Siluanov”
The meeting, held for two days in Asheville, opened with European outrage over Siluanov’s presence, with Lars Klingbeil telling reporters that he had scolded Siluanov during an early session and demanding that Russia end the war and pledge ongoing support for Ukraine.
As the talks began, Reuters reported that some ministers were surprised and dismayed to see Siluanov sitting at the G20 table, and that Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said, "We do not trust Russia. They lie constantly and you need to be really, really cautious while discussing with them."
Reuters also said Siluanov held a bilateral meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with a US official saying the focus was on President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine.
European photo boycott
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Europe was preparing a further package of sanctions against Russia, but that Siluanov’s presence sent a "quite troubling" signal for US cooperation with the effort.
Klingbeil also pressed the point that he wanted "greater clarity from the American side that he should not be received here as a normal guest," while Reuters reported that European officials opposed appearing in the traditional "family photo" of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors.
Axios reported that a Treasury spokesperson said Bessent and Siluanov discussed Trump’s Ukraine peace plan and economic growth, and that Bessent ruled out economic relief for Moscow as long as the war in Ukraine continues.
The New York Times said Serhiy Marchenko, Ukraine’s finance minister, was expected to participate by video conference on Monday afternoon in a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 7 nations led by France, while Ukraine was not represented in person at the G20 gathering.
What’s at stake next
Beyond the immediate diplomatic friction, the sources tied the G20 agenda to economic pressure on Iran and efforts to boost growth, with Reuters saying the two-day meeting in Asheville came as the global economy was buffeted by an energy shock triggered by the Iran war.
“"The world is awash in debt post-GFC, post-COVID, and the only way for us to get out of this is to grow our way out of this,"”
Reuters reported that Bessent told reporters, "The world is awash in debt post-GFC, post-COVID, and the only way for us to get out of this is to grow our way out of this," linking the meeting’s growth focus to concerns about debt and financial stability.
The New York Times framed the stakes as Europe’s effort to isolate Russia in the global economy and on the diplomatic stage, noting that European leaders did not want anything at the meeting to suggest that the war’s status had changed.
In parallel, Reuters said the US Treasury denied some journalists media credentials to cover the event, and Klingbeil called it unacceptable that journalists or entire editorial teams were excluded, even as the meeting’s opening moment centered on Russia’s return to the table.