US Irks Germany, Europe with Russian G20 Invite, Press Bans

The G20 finance ministers and central bank heads met in Asheville, North Carolina for talks that were marred by controversy. The White House welcomed Russia to the meeting, but denied visas to some critical reporters. Donald Trump, the US President, made an unexpected appearance as Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov joined the talks.

Trump claimed that the US would not provide economic relief to Russia until it ends its four-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine. European delegates, including German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski, expressed their displeasure over the Russian presence. They stated that they would not participate in the traditional photo with Russian media, emphasizing that they do not trust Russia.

Three major US media outlets, Bloomberg News, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, also complained of limited access to the meeting. Klingbeil had previously criticized the exclusion of journalists from the summit, calling it unacceptable. The ongoing war in Iran and its economic impact were also discussed, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting that it could collapse within weeks or months if its trading partners intervened. The deteriorating trade talks between the US and Canada also strained relations at the summit.