Russian delegation to attend G20 energy meeting in Houston
TLE DESK: Russia will send a delegation to a G20 energy ministers’ meeting in Houston next week, a senior Russian diplomat said on Saturday, as Washington steps up efforts to break the diplomatic deadlock over the war in Ukraine.
The meeting, scheduled for September 14–16 under the US presidency of the G20, will mark another appearance by Russian officials at a major international forum despite continued opposition from Ukraine’s Western allies.
“A Russian delegation will participate in the meeting of energy ministers held under the US presidency of the G20 in Houston from September 14 to 16,” Marat Berdyev, Russia’s ambassador responsible for G20-related affairs, said on Telegram.
Officials from Russia’s energy, foreign and natural resources ministries will be part of the delegation, Berdyev said, without identifying the individual representatives.
He argued that Russian proposals were gaining greater attention in discussions on flexible energy mixes, technological neutrality and the future role of fossil fuels, natural gas and nuclear power.
Western allies uneasy
The announcement follows the participation of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov in a G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, earlier this month.
His presence caused unease among Ukraine’s European and other Western allies.
Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne described the situation as a source of “discomfort” in an interview with AFP.
“We do not think now is the time to normalise Russia” or its presence at such talks, EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis said.
Washington has nevertheless intensified diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, Europe’s deadliest war since World War II, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Days after the Asheville meeting, US President Donald Trump sent his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv for discussions aimed at ending the fighting.
Trump has repeatedly pressed Moscow and Kyiv to reach a ceasefire agreement. His initial 28-point peace proposal, however, was criticised by Ukraine and several European governments, which argued that it conceded too much to the Kremlin.
Energy diplomacy
Russia’s participation in the Houston meeting is likely to give Moscow another opportunity to promote its position on global energy policy while the Ukraine conflict continues to reshape international energy markets.
Berdyev said Russian proposals on energy diversification, technological neutrality and the continued role of conventional energy sources were increasingly being sought in international discussions.
The G20 brings together 19 major economies along with the European Union and the African Union. It was established in the aftermath of the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis to strengthen international economic and financial stability.
