White House: Russian official to attend G20 energy meeting in Houston

A Russian official is expected to attend a G20 energy meeting in Houston next week, a White House official said on September 11, marking another high-level Russian presence at a G20 gathering since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The White House did not immediately identify the Russian representative who will attend the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Abundance, scheduled for September 14–16, Reuters reports.

The meeting will bring together energy officials from Europe and Asia and will include senior U.S. officials such as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and White House official Jarrod Agen.

Russia’s participation follows last month’s decision by the United States to welcome Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to a G20 meeting in North Carolina. His attendance drew criticism from European officials and marked the first time Russia’s finance minister had attended the forum in person since the start of the war in Ukraine.

The upcoming energy meeting comes as Europe seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas. European Union auditors warned this month that efforts to achieve greater energy independence are facing difficulties, with the bloc entering the winter season with unusually low gas storage levels.

By Sabina Mammadli