The US has informed Russia of the condition for easing sanctions
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told his Russian counterpart Anton Siluanov that Moscow should not wait for economic pressure to ease or for agreements on other issues to be reached until the war in Ukraine ends, Reuters reported, citing a source.
The United States has announced conditions for lifting sanctions on Russia.
Reuters reported on the night of September 1, citing a source familiar with the negotiations, that Bessent told Siluanov that Russia should not wait for the easing of economic pressure until the war in Ukraine is over. Washington also said that it did not intend to conclude separate agreements with Moscow on other issues until the war is over.
Siluanov's participation in the meeting within the framework of the G20 has caused objections from representatives of some European countries. Reuters notes that European countries are currently working on strengthening sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine. In particular, German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil called Siluanov's reception at such an event a "worrying signal." He also said that if the Russian Finance Minister participated, he would refuse to take part in the traditional general photo of G20 representatives.
Klingbeil said that it is possible to communicate openly with Russia and express critical views on the war, but in the current circumstances, taking a group photo with Siluanov would be “too big a step.” The German minister was joined by representatives of other European countries, and in the end, the group photo was taken without the Russian finance minister. Klingbeil also said that at the morning general meeting of the G20 participants, he had told Siluanov about the need to end the war in Ukraine and had reaffirmed Berlin’s support for Kiev.
The Russian Finance Ministry issued a brief statement on the meeting between Bessent and Siluanov on August 31. It said that the parties discussed Russian-US financial cooperation and interaction within the G20. The Russian statement did not provide information about sanctions or conditions related to the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, CNBC reported, citing the US Treasury Department, that Bessent and Siluanov also discussed US President Donald Trump's "peace plan" for Ukraine in Asheville.