US hosts G20 energy talks in Texas as Iran war disrupts global fuel markets

The United States on Monday kicks off a set of G20 meetings touting "energy abundance," even as President Donald Trump's war against Iran continues to disrupt global fuel markets. The discussions are slated to run through Wednesday in Houston, in the oil-rich US state of Texas. The meetings gather delegations from the world's largest economies -- including China, India, Japan and Germany -- with major oil producers set to attend, such as Canada and Saudi Arabia. Russian diplomats indicated Saturday that Moscow would also send some officials. The unexpected presence of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov caused a stir at a previous G20 meeting two weeks ago. Ukraine's European allies expressed disappointment in the US decision to invite Russia, which ran against efforts to exclude Moscow over the war on its neighbor. Read moreG20 backs final statement despite Russia tensions, China dissent The Houston meetings come as oil and gas prices surge over the Middle East war, with Europe struggling to fill its gas storage facilities ahead of winter. One of Washington's stated priorities as G20 host is to expand access to affordable, reliable and secure energy, but supply has been dramat...