US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that nation won’t attend the Group of Twenty (G20) sessions as long as Russia remains a member, Agence France-Presse reported. 

Yellen also called for more sanctions on Russia for their actions in Ukraine. Earlier in the month, the US Treasury Secretary had called for Russia to be expelled from the G20, an intergovernmental forum aimed at addressing global economic issues. Yellen had threatened at the time that the US would boycott some meetings if Russian representatives were in attendance. 

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Reuters reported her saying, “President Biden’s made it clear… that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in any of the financial institutions”, and added, “He’s asked that Russia be removed from the G20, and I’ve made clear to my colleagues in (presidency holder) Indonesia that we will not be participating in a number of meetings if the Russians are there.” 

The US has kept attempts to put pressure on Russia economically and ousting it from cooperative financial institutions is one of the many steps the Joe Biden administration has taken. 

After President Vladimir Putin decided to send troops into Ukraine, Russia found itself expelled from the SWIFT banking system, which hampered international transactions. As the invasion wore on, Moscow was stripped of the most favoured status in trade relations with many countries. 

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Coupled with sanctions and business pullouts, the Russian economy is under tremendous strain. 

Yellen’s hardline stance comes on the heels of the Bucha massacre where mass civilian graves were discovered in the town near Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv after Russian forces withdrew from the area. At the time, the US Treasury Secretary said the actions “represent an unacceptable affront to the rules-based global order and will have enormous economic repercussions”, Reuters reported. 

The G20 comprises 19 countries and the European Union (EU). The US and its allies have been coordinating responses to the Russian war, trying to pushback with sanctions while avoiding direct conflict with troops.