Politico reports: Trump welcomes Russia's return to G20, but Europe remains unconvinced

Russia's reinstatement into the G20 marks a clear shift in how the United States has handled such international gatherings since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

Ashville, North Carolina — The Trump administration's decision to allow Russia to rejoin the meeting of top economic officials from major global economies is sparking new tensions with European allies. European nations continue to seek isolation of Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended the opening day of the U.S.-hosted G20 summit on Monday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also held a one-on-one meeting with Siluanov during the summit.

However, Siluanov’s presence drew opposition from European officials in Ashville. The U.S. decision to include Russian officials at the meeting also caused complications in the originally scheduled group photo.

Eileen Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, told POLITICO: “Secretary Bessent had a productive conversation with the Russian Finance Minister.”

She said Bessent conveyed the U.S. position that the war must end and that the United States hopes to see a peaceful outcome.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the two also discussed the "Trump peace and economic growth plan."

Brown emphasized that allowing Russia to attend this meeting was a White House decision. “We are following the White House direction,” she noted.

When questioned on Monday why Trump allowed Russia to participate, the former president defended the move:

"We like getting along with everyone." He added:

"That’s one of the reasons I’ve been so successful—I can get along with everyone."

However, according to a source familiar with the talks, Bessent made it clear during his meeting with Siluanov that the United States would not provide any economic relief to Russia until the war in Ukraine ends.

Russia’s return to the G20 stands in stark contrast to how the U.S. handled similar international meetings after the war broke out in 2022.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told reporters he had clearly stated he would “not join a group photo with the Russian Finance Minister.”

Klingbeil pointed out that there has been no precedent in recent years for Russian officials appearing in G20 group photos.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released the official group photo from the summit late Monday evening—but Russian officials were absent from the image.

Thus, although Russia has returned to the G20 table, at least in the eyes of Europe, this does not signify an end to diplomatic and economic isolation of Moscow.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875089632066563/

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