Asheville, United States, 31 August (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has said there can be no return to normal Germany Russia relations while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, criticising the way Moscow’s finance minister was received at a G20 meeting in the United States.
Klingbeil made the remarks during a gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and representatives of Russia’s central bank were attending the talks.
The German minister argued that Russia’s presence should not create the impression that Moscow is again being treated as a normal international partner.
“People are dying every day, we have just seen another escalation in the attacks,” Klingbeil said, according to Reuters. “You cannot simply return to normality.”
Why does Germany say relations with Russia cannot return to normal?
Berlin’s position is closely tied to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, and the continuing conflict.
Germany has backed European Union sanctions against Moscow while providing political, financial and military support to Kyiv. The war has also transformed German energy policy after years in which the country depended heavily on Russian natural gas.
Klingbeil criticised the reception given to Siluanov at the G20 gathering, saying he found the signal sent by receiving the Russian finance minister “quite troubling”.
He said he would have preferred the US hosts to make clearer that Russia should not be received in the same manner as countries maintaining normal relations with Western governments.
The comments show why Germany Russia relations remain deeply affected by the Ukraine conflict despite both countries continuing to participate in some of the same international forums.
What will Russia and Germany face if tensions continue?
Russia remains a G20 member, meaning German and Russian officials can continue to encounter each other at multilateral meetings even as bilateral political ties remain strained.
For Germany, that creates the challenge of participating in international economic discussions involving Moscow without suggesting that relations have been normalised.
Russia, meanwhile, continues to face EU sanctions and political pressure from Germany and other European governments over the war.
Could Germany restore normal relations with Moscow?
Klingbeil did not announce a new policy or set conditions for restoring ties. His comments instead reinforced Berlin’s current position that normalisation is not appropriate while the conflict continues.
Any significant improvement in Germany Russia relations is therefore likely to depend heavily on future developments surrounding Ukraine and Moscow’s actions.
For now, Germany is expected to continue engaging with Russian representatives where required by multilateral institutions while maintaining its broader political support for Ukraine and opposition to Russia’s conduct in the war.
