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Russia returns to G20 finance talks in Bangkok as US and Europe split over Moscow

German minister says there will be no pretending Russia is a normal G20 member; meetings end without a joint communique

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Russia's finance minister attended a Group of 20 financial meeting in Bangkok on Thursday, his second in-person appearance at the gathering since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, testing how far Washington's rapprochement with Moscow will strain ties with European allies.

Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Bank of Russia Deputy Governor Elizaveta Danilova were listed as Russia's delegates at the finance ministers and central bank governors' meetings on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, according to a seating plan seen by CNBC. Siluanov was in the meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter. The layout document showed Russian delegates seated between attendees from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil was also listed as an attendee. At the August G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, he told Siluanov that Moscow must end the war and declined to pose in a group photo with him. The traditional group photo was ultimately taken without the Russian delegation after European officials protested.

Klingbeil has pushed back on US efforts to bring Russia back on to the international stage, reportedly saying after the Thursday meeting that "there will be no pretending that Russia is now returning as a normal member of the G20 and simply taking its seat at the table again, not with me, and not with the other Europeans."

The United States, which took over the G20 presidency this year, welcomed Russia's finance minister back to the finance talks after years of isolation over the invasion of Ukraine. The Trump administration also introduced a deal to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel imports until April, drawing criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies. The EU's Dombrovskis told CNBC on Wednesday that "now it's not a time to ease sanctions on Russia."

In a statement issued after the Thursday meetings, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on commercial vessels "must end." Those impacts "are exacerbated by Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war in Ukraine," he said, adding that Australia calls for Russia to end the war and respect Ukraine's sovereignty.

The finance chiefs ended the meeting without a joint communique, underscoring persistent divisions among members.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Russia's return to G20 finance talks marks a visible shift in the international financial order, led by a Washington seeking rapprochement with Moscow after years of isolation over the war in Ukraine.
  • The US decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel imports until April directly affects European energy markets and Ukraine's position, and has drawn criticism from both Kyiv and European capitals.
  • The failure to agree a joint communique signals that the G20, a forum meant to coordinate the global economy, is increasingly paralysed by divisions over Russia and the Middle East.

Background

Russia has been largely sidelined from the G20's finance track since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with European officials refusing to treat Moscow as a normal participant. The United States, which holds the G20 presidency this year, has moved to bring Russia back into the fold, inviting its finance minister to the talks and pursuing a broader easing of pressure on Moscow. Germany has emerged as the most vocal opponent of that approach, with Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil refusing to join a group photo with his Russian counterpart at the August meeting in Asheville.

Key Perspectives

Washington: The Trump administration is testing how far it can ease pressure on Russia without breaking with European allies, including a temporary deal to lift sanctions on Russian diesel imports until April. European allies: Led by Germany's Lars Klingbeil, they reject the normalization of Russia's seat at the table. Klingbeil reportedly said "there will be no pretending that Russia is now returning as a normal member of the G20," while the EU's Dombrovskis said "now it's not a time to ease sanctions on Russia." Ukraine and other critics: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised the diesel sanctions relief, and Australia's Treasurer Jim Chalmers reaffirmed calls for Russia to end the war and respect Ukraine's sovereignty, linking the tensions to wider shocks from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

What to Watch

  • Whether European ministers maintain their resistance at future G20 gatherings, including over group photos and joint statements.
  • The status of the diesel sanctions relief when it expires in April, and whether it is extended, made permanent, or rolled back.
  • Whether the G20 can return to issuing joint communiques, or remains split over Russia and Middle East policy.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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