DistantNews
Support us
Russian Finance Minister’s Surprise G20 Appearance Angers European Officials
🇱🇻 Latvia /Elections & Politics

Russian Finance Minister’s Surprise G20 Appearance Angers European Officials

From Delfi Latvia · () Latvian

Translated from Latvian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs in Asheville, North Carolina, his first in-person participation since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
  • European officials criticized the invitation, declined to join him for the traditional family photograph and said they planned further sanctions against Russia.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump defended engagement with Moscow, saying his administration would continue speaking with those involved in efforts to stop the bloodshed.

Anton Siluanov’s unexpected appearance at a U.S.-hosted G20 meeting put Russia back in the room with Western financial officials, and immediately exposed a divide over how far that engagement should go.

We like to get along with everybody. One of the reasons I have done so well is that I get along with everybody.

— Donald TrumpThe U.S. president defended inviting Russia’s finance minister to the G20 meeting.

The Russian finance minister attended talks in Asheville, North Carolina, on Aug. 31. It marked his first personal participation in a G20 meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. European ministers and officials reacted with anger, while the United States defended the decision to invite him.

Asked about the invitation, President Donald Trump said: "We like to get along with everybody. One of the reasons I have done so well is that I get along with everybody." Poland’s Finance Minister Andrzej Domański said he disliked seeing a representative of Moscow, although he acknowledged the host’s right to invite participants. "We do not trust Russia. They lie all the time, so when dealing with them, you have to be very, very careful," he told Reuters, calling Russia the aggressor in the conflict with Ukraine.

We do not trust Russia. They lie all the time, so when dealing with them, you have to be very, very careful.

— Andrzej DomańskiPoland’s finance minister explained his opposition to Russia’s participation.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said the invitation sent "a signal that worries me." He said he told Siluanov during the plenary session that Moscow must end the war and that "we unequivocally support Ukraine." Klingbeil also said Europe was preparing a new package of sanctions and hoped to work closely with Washington.

A signal that worries me.

— Lars KlingbeilGermany’s finance minister described his reaction to the U.S. invitation.

European officials, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, discussed Russia’s participation the previous day. They agreed that maintaining dialogue could allow them to send Moscow a clear message, Klingbeil said. But European ministers and central bank chiefs refused to pose with Siluanov for the traditional G20 family photograph. The picture was eventually taken without him, in a visible rejection of any return to normal relations.

We unequivocally support Ukraine.

— Lars KlingbeilKlingbeil said he delivered this message directly to Siluanov during the plenary session.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi Latvia in Latvian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog