Russian Official to Attend G20 Energy Talks in Houston Despite Previous EU Protests

A Russian government official will attend next week’s G20 energy meeting in Houston, the White House confirmed Friday, just weeks after Moscow’s return to an in-person G20 ministerial gathering triggered protests from European officials over Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. The G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Abundance will run from Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 14-16, with US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and White House official Jarrod Agen among those attending.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Energy officials from Europe and Asia are also expected at the three-day gathering. The White House has not disclosed the identity of the Russian representative. Europeans bristled at Russia’s G20 return The Russian presence comes less than two weeks after Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina – the first time Russia’s finance minister had participated in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His attendance angered European officials, who warned against any normalization of relations with Moscow while Russia continues its war. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil called the signal sent by receiving Siluanov as a regular participant “quite troubling” and said he would have preferred greater clarity from Washington that the Russian minister should not be treated as a normal guest. European ministers and central bankers also opposed appearing alongside Siluanov in the traditional G20 “family photo.” Organizers ultimately took the photograph without the Russian minister. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Warns of Global Food Crisis, Urges Faster Sanctions on Russia Zelensky says broader food and energy security – not just Ukraine’s survival – are now at stake as he pushes for a step-by-step path to negotiations. The disagreement highlighted differing approaches toward Moscow as Washington maintains direct engagement with Russian officials while European governments continue pushing for stronger economic pressure over the invasion of Ukraine. Russia sanctions vote could coincide with talks The Russian official could arrive in Houston just as the US House of Representatives considers another sanctions package targeting Moscow. The Senate has already passed the legislation 86-11. The measure would impose additional penalties on Russian officials and authorize tariffs against countries purchasing large quantities of Russian energy. The House Rules Committee is expected to take up the bill Monday. The Trump administration imposed its first Russia sanctions over the Ukraine war in October 2025, targeting oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil by freezing assets and blocking transactions. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had recently held a “great” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said the Kremlin leader wanted an agreement to end the war. However, intelligence officials in the US, Ukraine and Europe remain skeptical that Putin is genuinely seeking to end Russia’s invasion, Reuters reported. Houston on road to Miami G20 summit The Houston gathering is among a series of ministerial meetings leading to the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for Dec. 14-15 at Trump National Doral near Miami. Russia is expected to be invited to the leaders’ summit as a G20 member. The Kremlin said earlier this year that Putin may attend but had not decided whether he would travel to Miami. A US official told Reuters that Russia would be invited to G20 ministerial meetings and the leaders’ gathering. Putin has not personally attended a G20 summit since 2019, with his absence in subsequent years shaped first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by the international fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 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.