US Treasury Secretary Tells Moscow No Economic Relief Until Ukraine War Ends
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told his Russian counterpart that Washington will not grant economic relief or negotiate side agreements until Moscow ends its war against Ukraine, during a tense meeting at the G20 summit.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a blunt message to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the G20 summit in North Carolina: no economic lifelines or side deals will be forthcoming until Moscow ends its unprovoked war against Ukraine. The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the finance ministers' gathering in Asheville, was Siluanov's first in-person attendance at a G20 event since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, a presence that drew immediate criticism from European officials.
According to a source quoted by Reuters, when Siluanov attempted to discuss areas of mutual interest, Bessent interrupted him, emphasising that "nothing is possible until the war is over." While a US official had earlier indicated the focus was on President Donald Trump's peace plan for Ukraine, Russia's Finance Ministry claimed the two officials discussed economic cooperation within the G20 framework. The US currently holds the rotating G20 presidency.
Siluanov's unexpected appearance at the summit was met with unease by European delegates. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told reporters that receiving the Russian minister "sends a signal I find troubling," adding that he would have preferred a clear US stance denying Siluanov a regular guest platform. The remarks underscored the ongoing diplomatic isolation of Russia among Western nations, even as the US maintains channels of communication to push for a peace deal.
White House spokesman Kush Desai defended the administration's engagement, stating that President Trump has "really condemned" the "endless bloodshed" and that the administration "will never shy away from talking with the folks we need to talk to" to further that goal. However, Bessent's reported rebuff makes clear that such dialogue comes with a firm precondition: an end to Russia's brutal campaign against Ukraine. The Kremlin's assault on a sovereign nation, now in its fifth year, continues to exact a devastating toll, and the United States, through its Treasury Secretary, has signalled that economic normalisation will remain out of reach as long as Russian troops occupy Ukrainian territory. For Ukraine, defending its sovereignty against an unprovoked assault, the message from Asheville represents a reaffirmation of international pressure on Moscow, even as the war grinds on.