G20 tensions over Russia overshadow talks on Iran, tariffs and trade imbalances

The presence of Russia’s finance minister left a sour taste among some European officials at the G20 meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, but it did not prevent nearly all participants from backing the chair’s statement.

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There has been no impact

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the broad support showed that Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov’s attendance had not affected the talks. “There has been no impact,” he said. Bessent argued that engagement remained important because Siluanov was not under sanctions.

European officials took a different view. EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis said it was not the time to “normalize” Russia’s participation in such gatherings. He said Moscow’s involvement meant discussing sensitive economic issues with representatives of a government that is “waging an aggressive war” and “killing civilians on a daily basis” in Ukraine. Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Siluanov’s appearance had created “discomfort, no doubt about that.”

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It created discomfort, no doubt about that

The tension was visible in the arrangements around the meeting. Siluanov did not appear in the traditional G20 group photograph, and European leaders were separated from Russia’s delegation in photographs at a separate innovation gathering. The European Union said representatives had received only short notice of his attendance. Germany also accused Russia of an attempted hybrid attack involving a drone at a strategic airport and announced diplomatic countermeasures.

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normalize

The gathering took place as Washington sought support for sanctions on Iran and efforts to reduce trade imbalances. The chair’s statement called for “free, safe, and predictable navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” which has been largely blocked by Tehran since the war began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. China rejected that section and also objected to language criticizing “excessive and persistent imbalances” and non-market policies, wording that echoed criticism of its industrial overcapacity.

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I think it's very important to engage