European financial leaders staged a diplomatic revolt on Monday after the Trump administration blindsided allies by inviting sanctioned Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to attend a US-hosted G20 finance meeting in person.
The meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, marks the first time Russia’s top financial official has attended a G20 gathering in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.European financial leaders staged a diplomatic revolt on Monday after the Trump administration blindsided allies by inviting sanctioned Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to attend a US-hosted G20 finance meeting in person.
The meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, marks the first time Russia’s top financial official has attended a G20 gathering in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The surprise invitation by the US, which currently holds the rotating G20 presidency, triggered immediate backlash from European delegates who have spent years trying to maintain Russia’s global economic isolation.