The United States’ decision to bring Russia back to an in-person G20 finance meeting has upset several ministers attending the gathering in Asheville, North Carolina. The US also faced criticism for denying media access to some journalists. The two issues drew attention away from Washington’s effort to keep the focus on global economic growth.

The two-day meeting is taking place as the global economy faces several challenges. The Iran War has triggered an energy shock, while tensions are rising over China’s large trade surplus. Countries are also watching how the growing investment in artificial intelligence will affect the global economy in the long term.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent opened the meeting on Monday. Some finance ministers were surprised to see Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov sitting at the G20 table. It was the first time a Russian finance minister attended the forum in person since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said he was unhappy with Russia’s presence, although he acknowledged that G20 hosts have the right to invite guests. "We do not trust Russia. They lie constantly and you need to be really, really cautious while discussing with them,” he told Reuters in an interview. He also stressed that Russia is the aggressor in the war in Ukraine.

"So, for me it would be very difficult to have any kind of conversation with Russia.”

Siluanov also held a bilateral meeting with Bessent. Russia’s finance ministry said the talks focused on financial cooperation within the G20 framework. A US official said the meeting focused on President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine. A source familiar with the talks said Bessent told Siluanov that Russia could not receive economic relief or reach agreements on other issues until the war ends.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Europe was preparing another package of sanctions against Russia. He said Siluanov’s presence at the Asheville meeting sent a "quite troubling" signal about US cooperation with Europe on the issue.

"I would have wanted greater clarity from the American side that he should not be received here as a normal guest," Klingbeil said.

European officials also objected to appearing in the traditional G20 family photograph with Russia. The photograph was eventually taken without Siluanov.

Russia’s presence was a major shift from April 2022. At that time, even Siluanov’s virtual participation in a G20 meeting in Washington faced strong opposition. Officials from the US, Britain, Canada and the European Central Bank walked out in protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the tensions over Russia, Bessent sought to make economic growth the main focus of the meeting. He said stronger growth was the best way to deal with the huge debt built up after the 2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global debt reached a record level of nearly $353 trillion earlier this year. The high debt has raised concerns about financial stability. It has also led some investors to reconsider traditionally safe investments such as US Treasury bonds.

"The world is awash in debt post-GFC, post-COVID, and the only way for us to get out of this is to grow our way out of this," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the start of the meeting, referring to the 2007 to 2009 global financial crisis.

"I'm confident that a lot of the leaders are very receptive to this," he added.

The US Treasury also invited several private-sector leaders to take part in some G20 discussions on boosting economic growth. The move reflected the Trump administration’s approach of using deregulation, increased energy production and innovation to support growth.

Bessent said global growth had remained below its potential for too long. He said the reasons for weak growth could no longer include "policy failures of our own making."

He said the US Treasury had identified several barriers that G20 countries needed to address. These include "excessive regulatory and administrative burdens, poorly designed financial incentives and tax systems, insufficient public and private investment, internal market fragmentation, and gaps in workforce skills and mobility."

The US Treasury also came under fire for restricting press access to the summit. Journalists from Bloomberg News and specific reporters from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal were among those denied media credentials.

"I believe the press has a completely legitimate interest in reporting openly and freely on this G20 summit," Klingbeil said. "I consider it unacceptable for journalists or entire editorial teams to be excluded."

A US Treasury spokesperson said more than 300 media personnel were covering the meeting. The spokesperson noted that another New York Times reporter had been granted access. The Treasury said access came with a "responsibility to report factual information consistent with established journalistic standards."

US Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh was also attending his first international economic policy meeting since taking office in May. He said he wanted to understand more about the growth outlook for G20 economies.

Warsh said an era of "secular stagnation", marked by weak innovation, appeared to be ending. He linked the shift to the rapid increase in AI investment.

"If I were to try to characterise this moment, it would be one of a global investment surge," he said. He added that the investment boom had reversed the "global savings glut", which had previously left capital idle due to a shortage of investment opportunities.

Bessent also pointed to strong US growth. Investment in AI infrastructure has supported the economy. It has also contributed to higher US Treasury yields by absorbing savings that had previously flowed into Treasury bonds and keeping US borrowing costs lower.

Before the G20 talks, Bessent dismissed concerns about rising US debt levels and increased scrutiny of the country’s finances. He argued that the US remained in a stronger position than many advanced economies as its economy continued to grow despite large budget deficits.

"First of all, I'm not sure where the bond market turmoil is," he told Reuters in an interview on Sunday. "What's important, too, is that we are growing."

The US will turn its attention to global trade imbalances on Tuesday. Bessent said he would ask G20 members to review their trade relations with China. The US wants greater pressure on Beijing to move its economy away from exports and towards domestic consumption.

"The world cannot have a China with a $1.2 trillion trade surplus," Bessent said in the Reuters interview. "In China, the economy is quite weak, and they are trying to export their way out of it, and they need to rebalance their economy."

Economists have also said the US needs to reduce its growing fiscal deficits as part of efforts to create a more balanced global economy.