Dombrovskis says now is not the time for Russia's participation in G20
European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis criticized Russia's finance minister for unexpectedly showing up at a G20 meeting in the US, saying Europe does not support normalizing Russia's presence at such gatherings. The meeting is taking place in North Carolina, gathering finance leaders from the world's largest economies.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov unexpectedly appeared on Monday, August 31, at a G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors hosted by the United States in North Carolina. It marked the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Siluanov personally attended a G20 gathering at this level.
His appearance sparked outrage among European ministers and officials. US President Donald Trump, asked by journalists about the invitation extended to the Russian minister, said he likes to get along with everyone, adding that this is one of the reasons for his success.
Europe's position
European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, commenting during the finance leaders' meeting, said Europe's position on the matter is well known. According to him, now is not the right time to normalize relations with Russia or its participation in such international talks.
Dombrovskis' remarks came as the G20 gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors prepared to open its second day, with the agenda including issues such as global economic imbalances. Finance leaders from the world's largest economies are meeting at the G20 summit on Monday and Tuesday.
