Some Western nations are set to boycott parts of a summit of G20 finance ministers scheduled for Wednesday due to the planned participation of the Russian minister. The US called for Russia’s expulsion from the club of the world’s most powerful economies over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov is heading Moscow’s delegation at the event on Wednesday in Washington and will be participating via a video link, the ministry confirmed this week.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen “has made clear that she isn’t planning to attend events or meetings that the Russians are participating in,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a daily briefing on Monday, commenting on the upcoming meeting.
The secretary’s participation was confirmed by her department on the same day. She previously pledged to boycott any events involving Russia and called for Moscow’s full expulsion from the club. Consequently, her involvement in the G20 gathering was put into question after Indonesia, the current chair of the group, confirmed that Moscow had been invited.