Russian finance minister's G20 appearance angers European officials

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov unexpectedly showed up at the G20 summit in Asheville, USA, after receiving an invitation from the administration of US President Donald Trump. The move drew condemnation from European officials, according to Ukrainian outlet Unian, citing The New York Times.

Reports indicate this was Siluanov's first in-person appearance at such a major international gathering since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. US officials reportedly had not publicly announced beforehand that the Russian minister would attend.

German criticism

German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told reporters that during one of the summit's first sessions he sharply criticized Siluanov over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, demanding Moscow end the war and reaffirming Germany's continued support for Ukraine. Klingbeil said welcoming Russia's finance minister sent a troubling signal, adding he wished the US had made clear that Siluanov was not being received as an ordinary guest.

Boycott threats and the group photo

Klingbeil revealed that European ministers had demanded US officials exclude Siluanov from the summit's traditional group photograph, threatening to boycott the photo session entirely if he were included. In the end, the picture was taken without the Russian representative, while European delegates took part.

Many European politicians were also angered that South Africa was not invited to the summit despite being a long-standing G20 member. The outlet noted that Trump had previously skipped a G20 summit held in South Africa, claiming without evidence that white South Africans were being killed there indiscriminately.