At the G20 Finances, the United States accepts the presence of Russian Minister Anton Silouanov to the end, despite the “unease” of Westerners
The United States admits to having invited a Russian minister to the G20 Finances on its soil despite the ” faintness “ mentioned by some of their allies because of the war led by Moscow in Ukraine.
“There was no impact” on the discussions which spanned two days in Asheville (North Carolina), said on the night of Tuesday 1er on Wednesday, September 2, the American Minister of Finance, Scott Bessent, at a press conference. “I know that some Europeans have a bitter taste about it, but I think it is very important to discuss” with everyone “to end this horrible conflict between Russia and Ukraine”added the Treasury Secretary.
The participation of the Russian Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, “created discomfort, without a doubt”, his Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne had described a little earlier to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Usually persona non grata in the eyes of Western countries, Vladimir Putin’s minister sat, at the invitation of Washington, around the large table bringing together dozens of delegates in a majestic hotel complex at the foot of the Appalachians. He was also able to speak personally with Scott Bessent, a key figure in Donald Trump’s government, who is better disposed than his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden towards Moscow.
“Now is not the time”
In Asheville, the European Union (EU) ensured that Anton Silouanov was excluded from the traditional family photo. Unusual fact: the media were kept away when this one was taken on Monday.
During a G20 summit on innovation which was held in parallel elsewhere in North Carolina, the problem was circumvented by taking two family photos: one where the Russian minister is present without the Europeans and the Canadian, the other with the Europeans and the Canadian without the Russian. “Now is not the time to normalize Russia or Russia’s presence at this kind of meeting”judged from Asheville the European Commissioner for the Economy, Valdis Dombrovskis.
Washington is this year the organizer of a series of G20 meetings, which brings together the major world economies (China, India, Japan, France, etc.). The first – that of finance ministers and central bankers – concluded Tuesday evening with a final six-page press release sent by the Americans.
It is notably written that the ministers “underscore that freedom, security and predictability of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and around the world, as well as the resolution of ongoing wars and conflicts are essential to ensure sustainable growth”. It is specified that the paragraph mentioning Hormuz – blocked by Iran since the start of the war with the United States – was “approved by all G20 members except China”.
Beijing rejected other paragraphs, particularly those on “global imbalances”a mention often associated with the Asian giant’s trade surplus.
“Major divergences”
Scott Bessent took advantage of the summit to highlight the policies of the American executive, particularly in terms of deregulation, seeing it as a fuel for growth. It also aimed to convince other countries to isolate Iran economically, through sanctions.
The event was marked by several access restrictions: South Africa, although a permanent member of the group (like Russia), was excluded due to political differences between Pretoria and Washington.
The organizers also refused to accredit several journalists working for Tea New York Times, Tea Wall Street Journal or the economic news agency Bloomberg.
The last G20 assembly in the United States will bring together heads of state in December in a luxurious golf resort owned by Donald Trump in Miami (Florida). “The December summit promises to be complicated”analyst James Lindsay told AFP, recalling the “major differences between the United States and China, but also between the United States and (his) allies ».
