Russian minister offers a different account after meeting Bessent

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said financial officials may find common ground with the United States faster than politicians, after an unexpected meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a G20 gathering in North Carolina.

Siluanov said the two countries agreed that financial ties could still be developed despite existing complications. He argued that continued economic discussions could also help address political disputes.

“Therefore, we must always keep talking; we must continue the dialogue. If we find strong areas of common interest, and they exist, we must develop them. Then it will also be easier to resolve political issues,” Interfax quoted Siluanov as saying.

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Therefore, we must always keep talking; we must continue the dialogue. If we find strong areas of common interest, and they exist, we must develop them. Then it will also be easier to resolve political issues.

Siluanov said he believed the meeting with Bessent was their first. His personal attendance at the G20 finance ministers’ and central bank governors’ meeting drew opposition from European leaders, who have sought to keep Moscow isolated internationally since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

When reporters asked U.S. President Donald Trump why Russia had been invited, he defended the decision by saying, “We like to get along with everybody. One of the reasons I have been so successful is that I get along with everybody.” Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s major economies were meeting for two days in Asheville, North Carolina.

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