Russian Official to Attend G20 Energy Talks in US

A Russian official will attend next week’s G20 energy meeting in Houston, Texas, the White House said on Friday. Washington has not yet said who will represent Russia.

Last month, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a G20 meeting in North Carolina, becoming the first Russian finance minister to attend the forum in person since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Abundance will run from Monday to Wednesday, with US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and officials from Europe and Asia expected to attend.

Energy security is set to be a major concern amid the wars in Ukraine and Iran. The Strait of Hormuz has largely closed to oil and natural gas shipments, while US diesel prices reached a record of more than $6 a gallon this week.

The meeting also comes amid renewed efforts to end the war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had held a “great” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Putin wanted to make a deal to end the conflict.

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives is likely to vote on new sanctions against Russia during the G20 meeting, although it remains uncertain whether the legislation will pass.

(Reuters, EST)