Chaos at Trump’s G20 summit as Europe issues stunning ultimatum over ‘family photo’
The G20 finance ministers' summit in Asheville, North Carolina, was overshadowed by a row over the traditional "family photo" after European finance ministers threatened to boycott it unless Russia's delegation was excluded, given Moscow has been shut out of G20 events since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had invited Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov, prompting the Europeans to say they would send deputies instead unless he was withdrawn; the photo ultimately went ahead without the Russian delegation, a move German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil credited to a "joint approach" among European nations.
The dispute was one of several tensions at the summit, alongside a $40 billion tariff row with Canada, whose prime minister Mark Carney accused the US of not negotiating seriously, and lingering European anger over a US-Japan currency intervention the previous month. Bessent dismissed Canada's complaints, noting the US economy is "13 times larger," and used the summit to tout America's AI-driven growth, urging other nations to follow Washington's lead as the IMF forecasts US growth outpacing the eurozone and Canada this year, even as officials in Germany and elsewhere warned Trump's tariffs and Iran strikes were dragging on global growth.
In short
- Europe forced Russia's delegation out of the G20 "family photo"
- Bessent also faces a $40bn tariff dispute with Canada
- US touts AI-fuelled growth despite tariff and war-related headwinds
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Excluding Russia from the photo could be seen as a principled response to its invasion of Ukraine and a way to avoid implying that relations had returned to normal while the war continued. The European ministers’ coordinated stance also showed solidarity with Ukraine and consistency with Russia’s exclusion from other G20 events since 2022.
The case against
Keeping Russia in the photo could be defended as preserving the G20’s role as a forum that includes major economies even amid serious disputes, where participation need not signal approval of a government’s actions. On this view, excluding its delegation risks weakening dialogue and turning a customary photo into a test of political alignment, while the summit’s economic work benefits from broad participation.
Explained simply
The G20 brings together finance ministers and central bank officials from major economies to discuss issues such as trade, growth and financial stability. Its members include the United States, European Union countries, Canada and Russia. Meetings often involve both formal talks and public displays of cooperation.
Russia’s place in the group has been contentious since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which led many Western governments to exclude Russian officials from G20 events. The United States and European governments have also disagreed over tariffs, economic policy and how to respond to international conflicts. These disputes matter because decisions and tensions among large economies can affect trade and growth well beyond their borders.
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