On the menu today: A G-20 meeting of finance ministers isn’t usually all that exciting. But this year’s gathering in Asheville, N.C., has the twin controversies of the U.S. government barring South Africa from attending — Elon Musk no doubt is applauding somewhere — and the Trump administration’s decision to invite the Russian government for the first time in four years. Once again, those of us who want to see Russia’s influence on the world stage decline are left asking: What’s the upside here? How does rolling out the red carpet for representatives from Moscow who are still on a U.S. sanctions list amount to prioritizing American interests? Read on.
A Concerning Invitation
Yesterday’s Morning Jolt concluded, “Whether the president wants to acknowledge this or not, Iran, Russia, and China are all on the same team, aligned against us.” A reader objected, contending that surely the president recognizes this.
He sure doesn’t act like it.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING
In the delightful city of Asheville, N.C., finance ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies are meeting this week. And for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a representative of Vladimir Putin’s regime is in attendance . . . at the insistence of the Trump administration. From Politico:
The Trump administration’s decision to bring Russia back into the fold at a gathering of the world’s leading economic officials is stirring fresh tensions with European allies who want to continue isolating Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was in the room Monday for the first day of the U.S.-hosted G20 talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also held a one-on-one meeting with Siluanov on the sidelines of the summit.
Siluanov’s attendance, however, was vocally opposed by European officials in Asheville on Monday, and the decision to include the Russian official in the meeting caused a stir in the planning of a group photo of participants.
Keep in mind, Anton Siluanov is still listed on the U.S. Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list.
The invitation to Siluanov was not announced beforehand, probably because the administration recognized that a lot of European delegations would object.
Germany’s vice chancellor and finance minister, Lars Klingbeil, said, “Receiving the Russian finance minister here sends a signal I find troubling. I would have preferred clear positioning from the U.S. side that he not be received like a regular guest.”
How are the Russians reciprocating this surprisingly generous gesture from the Trump administration?
Shortly before Siluanov arrived, the Russian government publicly argued that the South African government’s exclusion from the G-20 summit was an “an egregious violation.” In December, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S., as the host nation, was making some changes to the usual invite list:
Poland, a nation that was once trapped behind the Iron Curtain but now ranks among the world’s 20 largest economies, will be joining us to assume its rightful place in the G20. Poland’s success is proof that a focus on the future is a better path than one on grievances. It shows how partnership with the United States and American companies can promote mutual prosperity and growth.
The contrast with South Africa, host of this year’s G20, is stark. . . .
As President Trump has rightly highlighted, the South African government’s appetite for racism and tolerance for violence against its Afrikaner citizens have become embedded as core domestic policies. It seems intent on enriching itself while the country’s economy limps along, all while South Africans are subject to violence, discrimination, and land confiscation without compensation. . . .
President Trump and the United States will not be extending an invitation to the South African government to participate in the G20 during our presidency. There is a place for good faith disagreement, but not dishonesty or sabotage.
The United States supports the people of South Africa, but not its radical ANC-led government, and will not tolerate its continued behavior. . . .
Polish minister of foreign affairs Radosław Sikorski — a longtime contributor to National Review — walked the tightrope, declaring, “Our G20 aspirations have never been about replacing anyone, let alone our close partners.” Poland has a guest delegation in Asheville this week.
It is good that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Siluanov that no sanctions relief or new agreements are possible as long as the war in Ukraine continues. But that same message could have been communicated with a phone call; there was no need for the U.S. to invite Siluanov to North Carolina for this.
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/why-did-trump-invite-the-russians-to-the-g-20-summit-in-asheville/