US shuts down Russia's push for economic cooperation 'until war is over,' source says
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow will remain impossible as long as Russia continues its war against Ukraine, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.
The two officials met on Aug. 31 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Asheville, marking the first time Russia's finance minister has attended the gathering in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The meeting comes as the U.S. seeks to revive stalled efforts to broker a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. More than a year and a half of diplomatic efforts have failed to produce a breakthrough, however, amid Russia's territorial demands and its continued rejection of a ceasefire.
One person familiar with the discussions told the Kyiv Independent that Siluanov opened the meeting by outlining potential areas of cooperation between Russia and the U.S.
Bessent then made clear that no economic relief or agreements on other issues would be possible "until the war is over," the person said.
The Treasury secretary also pushed for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, in line with U.S. President Donald Trump's approach.
No 28-point peace plan was discussed during the meeting, according to one person familiar with the matter, contradicting earlier reporting by Fox Business.
A Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv was unaware of Bessent's meeting with Siluanov.
Sanctions relief has become one of the Kremlin's main objectives as Russia's economy faces mounting pressure from long-term restrictions.
Some U.S. officials see the possibility of easing sanctions as leverage that could encourage Moscow to agree to at least a temporary ceasefire.
The meeting also prompted unease among European officials attending the G20 gathering. German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil confronted Siluanov over Russia's war against Ukraine during the Aug. 31 meeting and helped lead efforts to exclude the Russian minister from a group photograph.
