European delegations were taken by surprise on Sept. 1 by the presence of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the G20 meeting in Asheville. Without prior announcement, Siluanov joined U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for talks on Donald Trump’s 28-point plan for Ukraine. Berlin voiced its opposition.
Siluanov’s unannounced appearance in Asheville caught delegates off guard. Russia had been excluded from major multilateral forums since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its return to the U.S.-hosted G20 marks a notable shift after four years of diplomatic isolation.
European capitals learned of the invitation overnight, prompting an immediate reaction. No statement from the U.S. Treasury had announced Siluanov’s participation. Le Parisien reported that some delegations described the move as a “diplomatic ambush” orchestrated by the Trump administration.
Bessent met Siluanov to present Trump’s plan, which proposes Ukrainian territorial concessions, including areas currently under Kyiv’s control. The White House has defended the approach, saying direct engagement is necessary to help end the conflict in Ukraine. Washington sees direct talks with Moscow as essential to resolving the war quickly, while European governments view the move as premature normalization with Moscow that risks undermining their support for Kyiv.
