Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell walked out of a Group of 20 meeting on Wednesday when the Russian representative began talking.
A source told the Insider that multiple finance ministers and central bank governors walked out of the meeting with Yellen and Powell. Other officials who attended the meeting virtually shut off their cameras when the Russian representative started speaking.
The walkout led by Yellen was coordinated before the meeting, according to Reuters. Ahead of this week’s World Bank and IMF meetings, a Treasury official said Yellen was expected to avoid events that Russian officials were attending.
The stunt is the latest example of the Biden administration refusing to engage with high-level Russian officials. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hasn’t spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, since February 15, and President Biden has no plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, has said he can’t get meetings with senior officials in the White House or in the State Department. Antonov said US lawmakers also don’t want to speak with him. While there are low-level contacts between the Biden administration and the Russian embassy, Antonov described his situation in Washington as a “blockade.”
As part of its strategy to isolate Russia, the US wants Russia to be kicked out of the G20, but other members are against the move, notably China and Indonesia.
“The walkout led by Yellen was coordinated before the meeting” – is this as stupid as it sounds? Afraid to engage with words? Rather remain safe a continent away and rattle her $$.
Yes!
We are at the level of infantile playground behavior. As someone termed it, diplomacy by insults and childish rants, sulks, and empty threats.
Scary. Are we led by children? Such juvenile behaviour, inability to engage diplomatically to solve problems — a complete crash of competence not seen yet in the history of the nation.
Taking our marbles and going home.
What is the expectation here?
That Russians are so desperate for Western approval? That they will ditch their own security concerns for a ticket to Disneyland?
Since most of the world willl not follow our example — what are we hoping to achieve?
As we have become by our own Constitution co-belligerents, it might be useful to talk and avoid accudental nuke flying.
Biden will prove costly.
Perfect demonstration before the entire world of the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of Washington Neocon/lib foreign policy establishment. Only imagine the dilemma this poses to the non-brain dead, non-corrupt population of NATO obliged to support it with treasure and blood.
This is real cold war stuff. And it’s not as if there is any great ideological issue at stake! Russia is a capitalist democracy these days. The issue is really a U.S. loss of face at its own power-drunk meddling revealed to be vastly more corrupt, illegal and immoral than its constituency can accept.
Quick….lock the doors and don’t let these banksters back in!
Yellen and Blinken are only doing what obama has ordered.
Or maybe Trump:
“Also, it was me that got Ukraine the very effective anti-tank busters (Javelins) when the previous Administration was sending blankets. Let History so note!” Trump bragged.
“I hope everyone is able to remember that it was me, as President of the United States, that got delinquent NATO members to start paying their dues, which amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars,” Trump wrote in a statement released Monday. “There would be no NATO if I didn’t act strongly and swiftly.”
dems are insane children
A lot of Repubs are insane children too.
not nearly to the point that the dems have been affected/infected.
Indeed. The common thread is the desire to dominate and control other human beings.
Are we supposed to believe that, after wrecking the Middle East and Afghanistan, US officials have suddenly developed a concern for humanity? So they took their ball and went home. Very professional, but it reflects the mess this country is in because our leaders are, to quote a former president: Dumb. Very dumb.
This is a perfect example of why we are known as “The Ugly Americans.” The boorishness of our diplomats is truly astounding.
Infantile warmongers are leading the US
immaturity is a pre-requisite,