G20 Ministers Dismayed by Russia’s Return to the Meeting

The return of Russia’s finance minister to the G20 table overshadowed a meeting intended to focus on the global economy. Anton Siluanov’s presence in Asheville marked his first in-person attendance at the forum since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

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We do not trust Russia. They lie constantly and you need to be really, really cautious while discussing with them.

Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said he was unhappy to see Russia represented, even while acknowledging that G20 hosts have the right to invite guests. “We do not trust Russia. They lie constantly and you need to be really, really cautious while discussing with them,” he said, adding that Russia was the aggressor in its war with Ukraine.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Europe was preparing another sanctions package against Russia. He called Siluanov’s presence “quite troubling” for US cooperation with European efforts and said he wanted clearer confirmation that the minister would not be treated as a normal guest.

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So for me it would be very difficult to have any kind of conversation with Russia.

European officials also opposed appearing in the traditional G20 family photograph. The picture was ultimately taken without Siluanov. His attendance contrasted with April 2022, when officials from the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Central Bank walked out over Russia’s participation, even virtually.

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quite troubling

Siluanov held a bilateral meeting with Bessent on financial cooperation within the G20 framework. A US official said the talks focused on Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine, while a person familiar with the discussions said Bessent told Siluanov that no economic relief or other agreements were possible until the war ends. The meeting also confronted energy disruption linked to the Iran war, China’s trade surplus, rising debt and uncertainty over an investment surge in artificial intelligence.

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awash with debt