Strong criticism and protests from European officials were provoked by the surprise appearance of the Russian finance minister at the Group of Twenty finance ministers and central bankers summit.
Read more Aurora’s intimate plates: images of a Chile that no longer exists
The meeting, held in the mountain city of Asheville, was presented by the Treasury Department as an opportunity to find global cooperation on new economic sanctions for Iran and new strategies to boost growth at a time of persistently high inflation and rising borrowing costs that are putting pressure on government budgets.
Anton Siluanov, who attended by an invitation extended by the Trump administration, had not visited the summit since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Lars Klingbeil, German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister, told reporters that he had reprimanded Siluanov during an initial session of the meeting for the invasion, demanding that Russia end the war and promising continued support for Ukraine, which was not represented in person at the meeting.
Serhiy Marchenko, Ukraine’s finance minister, was expected to participate by videoconference on Monday afternoon in a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers, which France chairs. France is hosting the G7 this year and will hold the meeting alongside the G20 summit.
Read more Master, Dark Horse, INSS and Lulinha: The legal cases affecting the presidential campaign in Brazil
European leaders have worked hard to isolate Russia in the global economy and diplomatic sphere, and at a time in the war when Moscow has relentlessly bombarded Kyiv, they did not want anything at the meeting to suggest that had changed.
Siluanov was excluded from a “group photo” of international officials at the G20 summit in North Carolina.
U.S. Treasury officials confirmed that Secretary Scott Bessent met with Siluanov at the summit. An agency spokesperson said Bessent held a productive meeting with the Russian finance minister and reaffirmed the president’s commitment to world peace.
