Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen leads US walkout after Russian officials begin speaking at G-20 meeting: report

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during an event at the US Department of the Treasury on September 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen led a walkout of a G-20 economic meeting.
Yellen, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and other global economic leaders left when Russian officials spoke.
The coordinated action underlines Russia's increasing isolation as it continues its war in Ukraine.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Fed Chair Jerome Powell joined top economic leaders from around the world in walking out of a G-20 meeting on Wednesday after Russian officials began speaking, underlining the increasing isolation the Kremlin faces as Russia continues its war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reports.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Moscow's top economic official, was expected to attend the conference remotely, The Post reports. The US sanctioned Siluanov earlier this month. Ukrainian officials addressed the gathering before the Russians started speaking.

The coordinated action was in the works before the meeting began, Reuters previously reported. An unnamed US official told the outlet that Yellen planned to avoid most sessions attended by Russian officials. An unnamed British official also said that British finance minister Rishi Sunak would also not attend some sessions.

The G-20 was founded in 1999 as a way for top finance officials and central bank leaders from the world's largest economies to meet to coordinate policy. The group later expanded to include heads of state. The smaller G-7 started in the 1970s amid global energy concerns and a recession. It grew to be known as the G-8 when Russia later joined in 1998, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, but its membership was suspended in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea and the exclusive club again became known as the G-7.

President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have called for Russia to be kicked out of the G-20 following its unprovoked war in Ukraine. The US and many of the G-20 nations have also responded by enacting severe sanctions on Russia. Biden has made clear that the US hopes to devastate the Russian economy.

A Treasury Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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