Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended the US-hosted G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, in person for the first time since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, drawing objections from European governments. The two days of talks among finance ministers and central bank heads, which opened late on Monday under the rotating US presidency, were also shadowed by press exclusions, the Iran war and 
Donald Trump's trade dispute with Canada, DW reported.
Why did Siluanov's presence draw objections? "Receiving the Russian finance minister here sends a troubling signal," German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said. European officials, following a common EU position, stayed out of the traditional "family photo," which was ultimately taken without Siluanov. Klingbeil, who said Europe was preparing a new round of sanctions on Russia, said he had hoped Washington would take a clearer position that Siluanov should not be received as an ordinary guest, CNA reported. In April 2022, when Siluanov joined a Washington G20 meeting only online, US, British, Canadian and European Central Bank officials walked out in protest.
How did Washington respond? Asked about the invitation, Trump told reporters, "We like getting along with everybody." In a bilateral meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Siluanov that Russia would get no US economic relief until it ends its invasion, DW reported, citing US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. White House spokesman Kush Desai said the administration was working with Moscow toward a deal to end the bloodshed, CNA reported.
What happened to press access? Bloomberg News said its team was refused access, DW reported, while the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times said some journalists who would normally cover such events were denied credentials. Klingbeil said: "I consider it unacceptable for journalists or entire editorial teams to be excluded."
What did the US put on the agenda? On Tuesday the Trump administration urged other G20 members to do more to shield their industries and jobs from Chinese imports, the Korea Times reported. "We're seeing a lot of non-market economies with these big imbalances that are sucking growth from the rest of the world," Bessent told reporters. Klingbeil said US tariff conflicts, "such as the current dispute with Canada, destroy trust." Officials said the joint communique's section on global imbalances was proving particularly difficult, with China opposed to any singling out of "non-market economies." European countries also sought strong language critical of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
