Russia Returns to G20 Finance Talks Amid US Sanctions Lift

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting in Bangkok on Thursday, his second in-person appearance since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The attendance followed an invitation from the United States, which currently holds the G20 presidency.

The meeting coincided with a decision by the Trump administration to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel imports until April. This policy shift drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and various European officials. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil rejected the notion of Russia returning as a normal member of the group.

Persistent divisions over the war in Ukraine, trade imbalances, and the conflict in the Middle East prevented the group from issuing a joint communique. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was absent from the talks. G20 leaders are scheduled to convene for a summit in Miami in December.