US officials, finance ministers leave G20 meeting to protest Russia: Reports

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - A number of US officials and finance ministers around the world left the G20 meeting on Wednesday to protest Russia's war on Ukraine, according to media reports.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell along with Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko walked out of the session when Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov joined the meeting virtually, according to the Politico news outlet.

Other officials who left the meeting were European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni and Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Some officials from other countries, who also joined the meeting virtually, were seen as turning off their cameras when Siluanov started his speech.

Yellen had previously indicated that she was planning not to participate in some meetings of the G20 due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki later said President Joe Biden administration supports Yellen's steps.

"Well, the President and Secretary Yellen have both said that we can’t have business as usual at the G20 or in a lot of these international forums as it relates to Russia," she told in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Psaki noted that Biden has indicated before that Russia should be a part of the G20.

"But certainly, we support her [Yellen] steps, and it’s an indication of the fact that President Putin and Russia has become a pariah on the global stage," she said.