US Treasury chief links Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil to global energy shock after rare G20 meeting with Russian finance minister

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, after a G20 finance ministers meeting in North Carolina where Russia's finance minister Anton Siluanov was invited for the first time since the war began, attributed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure as a contributing factor to a global 'energy shock.' This marks a notable shift in US rhetoric, potentially signaling a softening stance toward Russia or an attempt to manage energy prices, though it does not indicate a policy reversal. The meeting itself is a diplomatic first, suggesting possible back-channel engagement despite ongoing conflict.