European finance officials pushed back Monday after Russia's finance minister attended the G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, hosted by the United States. Germany's finance minister said there could be no normalization with Moscow while its war in Ukraine continues, and European delegates arranged to leave Russia out of the group's traditional photo.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended the G20 meeting in Asheville, alongside representatives of Russia's central bank, according to Reuters. Siluanov held talks on the sidelines with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the host of the gathering, and Russia's finance ministry said the two discussed U.S.-Russia financial cooperation and Russia's role within the G20 framework.
Germany warns against normalization
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Europe is preparing a further package of sanctions against Russia and hopes for close coordination with Washington on new measures. He said the U.S. decision to host Siluanov sent a troubling signal.
According to Reuters, Klingbeil said "I would have wanted greater clarity from the American side" on Siluanov's presence at the meeting.
Klingbeil noted that Russia's finance minister had, he believes, not attended the last four G20 meetings, and said his return suggests an attempt at normalization that Europe must resist.
Europeans skip the group photo
European ministers and central bankers also objected to appearing in the meeting's traditional "family photo" with the Russian delegation, officials from European countries said. Organizers ultimately took the photograph without Siluanov present.
Klingbeil said European counterparts, including Britain's John Healey and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, discussed Russia's presence on Sunday evening. They agreed that keeping a channel for dialogue open was useful for delivering a direct message to Moscow.
Guest list draws its own scrutiny
The United States, as host, controlled the guest list for the meeting and did not invite South Africa, which hosted the G20 last year. Spain, a country President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off from trade, was also absent from the gathering.
Source: Investing.com
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