Russia's Finance Minister Returns to G20 Talks in US, Drawing European Criticism

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov made a surprise appearance at the US-hosted G20 finance talks in Asheville, North Carolina, on September 1, 2026. This was his first in-person attendance at a G20 meeting since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He held a bilateral meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with discussions reportedly focusing on financial cooperation and President Trump's peace plan for Ukraine. European officials, including Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski and German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, expressed frustration and dismay, criticizing Russia's return as an attempt at normalization. European ministers and central bankers opposed appearing with Siluanov in the traditional G20 family photo, which was ultimately taken without him. The US did not invite South Africa, last year's G20 host, and denied credentials to some major US news outlets, drawing condemnation from the National Press Club. The meeting occurs amid record global debt and an energy shock from the US-Israel war on Iran.