- G20 finance leaders closed their two-day meetings without a full joint statement.
- Washington insisted that their surprise invitation and presence of an internationally sanctioned Russian minister had no effect on talks.
- Ukraine’s European allies had expressed frustration after Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was welcomed at the US-hosted meetings in Asheville, North Carolina.
- The traditional “family photo” of G20 participants was taken Monday without Siluanov, following European officials’ protests.
- “It created discomfort, no doubt about that,” Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told AFP on Tuesday when asked.
- The tension also comes as Germany blamed Russia for an attempted “hybrid attack” involving a drone at a strategic German airport last month.
- With reference to the broiling American war on Iran, the U.S., ironically, called for “free, safe, and predictable navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. China objected to the wording.
- Trump’s 50% tariffs on Canada also loomed over the gathering.
- With reference to economic and excessive and persistent imbalances that pose risks and can generate economic distortions, Finance Minister Champagne said, “We need to discuss and look at collective action, because global imbalances as they are today are not sustainable. Everyone has to be at that table.”
KYIV Post: US Treasury Secretary Says Russia’s G20 Presence Did Not Disrupt Talks Despite EU Anger