Asheville, North Carolina - G20 leaders closed their two-day gathering on Tuesday with a unified statement that all but China backed in full, despite Russia's controversial attendance.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the fact that nearly all participants agreed to the chair's joint statement suggested "there has been no impact" from Russia's attendance, despite significant pushback from other members of the G20.

Ukraine's European allies had expressed frustration after Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was welcomed at the US-hosted meetings in Asheville, North Carolina. The broiling Middle East war and President Donald Trump's tariffs also loomed over the gathering.

The statement, issued at the conclusion of the 2026 G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' meeting, called for "free, safe, and predictable navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," though China dissented from that section.

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A traditional "family photo" of G20 participants was taken Monday without Siluanov, following European officials' protests. At a separate G20 innovation gathering, participants took two group photos, allowing European leaders to be separated from Russia's delegation.

An EU spokesperson complained that representatives were only given short notice of Siluanov's attendance.

"It created discomfort, no doubt about that," Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told AFP on Tuesday when asked if Siluanov's appearance had impacted discussions.

EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters that it was not the time to "normalize" Russia's presence at such events. He said Moscow's inclusion entails discussing sensitive economic matters with representatives of a government that is "waging an aggressive war" and "killing civilians on a daily basis" in its conflict in Ukraine.

But Bessent countered at a press conference: "I know that some Europeans had a sour taste, but I think it's very important to engage."

"And I will point out that the finance minister who I met with is unsanctioned," he added of Siluanov.

China entered the G20 meeting immediately on the wrong foot when Bessent opened the summit by telling Reuters "the world cannot have a China with a $1.2 trillion trade surplus" and then railed against "persistent global imbalances" in his opening remarks.

Beijing rejected a section in the conference's joint statement that doubled down on these criticisms. It had declared: "Excessive and persistent imbalances pose risks and can generate economic distortions."

The section called for countries to "take steps to eliminate non-market policies." This echoed criticism of excess industrial capacity in the world's second biggest economy, which critics say creates unfair competition and drives prices lower.

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"We need to discuss and look at collective action, because global imbalances as they are today are not sustainable," Champagne said. "Everyone has to be at that table."

The G20 comprises 19 nations plus the EU and the African Union, and was established in the wake of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis in an attempt to boost global economic and financial stability.

The Asheville finance talks also set the stage for a G20 leaders' summit that Trump will convene in December in Miami. It came only weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Washington DC in September.

Another issue that came up was support for Ukraine, which was discussed on the sidelines at a meeting by the narrower Group of Seven advanced economies.

Moscow has intensified its strikes on Kyiv this summer. US-brokered talks remain frozen while the Kremlin has maintained its maximalist demands to end the war.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Tuesday there has been an "increase in brutal rocket attacks on the civilian population… This all has to come to an end."

Klingbeil said he and other European ministers "made our position on Ukraine absolutely clear." As G7 leaders met late Monday, he said Ukraine's finance minister joined remotely for talks on support for Kyiv.