US Russia Invite Irritates Germany and Europe as Press Access Tightens at G20

Russia’s return to a G20 finance meeting has unsettled European delegates, while major US news organizations complained that journalists were excluded from parts of the event.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov made an unexpected appearance as two days of talks opened in Asheville, North Carolina. He held a bilateral meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. President Donald Trump defended the invitation, saying, “We like getting along with everybody.”

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We like getting along with everybody.

The United States holds the rotating G20 presidency and is hosting the meeting. US officials, speaking anonymously, said Bessent told Siluanov that Washington would not provide Russia with economic relief until it ended its invasion of Ukraine.

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

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Russia’s presence sent “a troubling signal.” He said European ministers had agreed not to join the traditional family photograph alongside the Russian representative. Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said hosts had the right to invite guests but expressed distrust of Moscow. “We do not trust Russia. They lie constantly and you need to be really, really cautious while discussing with them,” he said.

Press access created a second dispute. Bloomberg News said its team was not allowed access, while the Wall Street Journal and New York Times said some journalists who normally cover such meetings were denied credentials. Klingbeil called open reporting a legitimate interest and said excluding journalists or entire editorial teams was unacceptable. The meeting was also overshadowed by the war with Iran and its economic effects, along with Trump’s latest trade dispute with Canada.

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I believe the press has a completely legitimate interest in reporting openly and freely on this G20 summit. I consider it unacceptable for journalists or entire editorial teams to be excluded.