European Ministers Boycott Russian Counterpart After Surprise US G20 Invitation

European financial leaders staged a diplomatic revolt on Monday after the Trump administration blindsided allies by inviting sanctioned Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to attend a US-hosted G20 finance meeting in person. The meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, marks the first time Russia’s top financial official has attended a G20 gathering in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The surprise invitation by the US, which currently holds the rotating G20 presidency, triggered immediate backlash from European delegates who have spent years trying to maintain Russia’s global economic isolation. The photo boycott and direct confrontation The diplomatic friction peaked during preparations for the traditional G20 “family photo.” Led by German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, European representatives refused to pose alongside Siluanov, threatening to boycott the photograph if he were included. Organizers ultimately excluded the Russian minister from the official photo. Despite the European protest, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a one-on-one meeting with Siluanov on the sidelines. According to US officials, Bessent used the meeting to advocate for President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine, while a source familiar with the talks said Bessent informed Siluanov that no economic relief or agreements on other issues would be possible until Russia ends its war. Other Topics of Interest Russian Drone Attacks Injure 9 in Kyiv Region Air defense units responded to drones over Kyiv as debris caused fires in several districts of the capital. The meeting had not been announced in advance, and a Ukrainian government official said Kyiv had not been informed about it. “A quite troubling signal” European officials expressed deep frustration over Washington’s reception of Siluanov. Klingbeil publicly criticized the American hosts, saying that receiving the Russian minister as a normal guest sent a “quite troubling” signal while Russia continues its war and attacks on Ukrainian cities. “I would have wanted greater clarity from the American side that he should not be received here as a normal guest,” Klingbeil told reporters. He said he also confronted Siluanov directly during a plenary session, demanding that the Russian government end its war and reiterating Europe’s support for Ukraine. Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski delivered an even sharper rebuke. “We do not trust Russia. They lie constantly and you need to be really, really cautious while discussing with them,” Domanski said. Klingbeil also said Europe was preparing another sanctions package against Russia and hoped Washington would join efforts to increase economic pressure on Moscow. Transatlantic fault lines deepen The surprise invitation marks a sharp reversal from previous US policy. In April 2022, when Siluanov participated virtually in a Washington-hosted G20 meeting, then-US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined officials from Britain, Canada and other Western partners in walking out as Russian representatives began speaking in protest against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Four years later, Washington invited Siluanov back into the room, leaving European officials to stage their own protest against the optics of Russia’s return. White House spokesman Kush Desai defended the administration’s decision to engage Moscow, saying it “will never shy away from talking with the folks we need to talk to” in pursuit of an agreement to halt the bloodshed. The confrontation unfolded concurrently as Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Kyrgyzstan, highlighting Moscow’s parallel effort to deepen ties outside the West while testing whether diplomatic doors are reopening in Washington. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.