Russia’s Lavrov Is Pariah at Group 20 Event, But Only For Some

NUSA DUA, Indonesia – He’s like a skunk in the tropical resort party, shunned by many, though by no means all.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov attended a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 industrialized nations in Bali on Friday, despite his country’s status in Europe and elsewhere. about the brutal war in Ukraine. His country’s invasion of the neighboring country prompted two central topics of discussion at the annual event: global disruptions to food and energy supplies.

Foreign Minister Antony J. Blinken refused to meet Mr. Lavrov, as did several other Western foreign ministers. As a result, many attendees refused to pose to Moscow’s top diplomat that a customary group photo had been cancelled.

But to reflect on why Russia can still do business with the outside world and fund its relentless war machine, Mr. Lavrov sat down with a number of ministers from countries that refused. join a Western-led coalition against his country. They include diplomats from China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Argentina and Indonesia.

Mr. Lavrov’s activities were among a number of dramatic plots at the Group of 20 gathering that were also obscured by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on Thursday that he planned to step down, and the assassination attempt. Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, an act Mr Blinken called “shocking” and “a loss to the world.”

The meeting ended without a traditional joint communique expressing common goals, an impossible feat that Russia would have to sign on to any such document.

Blinken indirectly took aim at his Russian counterpart during a plenary session focused on food and energy insecurity, rejecting Western accusations that Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports is preventing Ukraine hinder the export of grains and other agricultural products, causing shortages and escalating prices worldwide.

“To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country,” Blinken said. “Its seeds are not yours. Why are you blocking the ports? You should leave the seeds out”. He noted that the United States has committed more than $5 billion to address the issue, while Russia provides less than 0.02% of total donations to the United Nations World Food Program.

However, Mr. Lavrov did not listen. According to a Western official present at the meeting room, he made a brief appearance and gave the role of Russia’s official speech to an unprepared subordinate.

Earlier, Lavrov left a group session while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made clear comments on Ukraine, according to Western officials.

In comments to reporters afterward, the scathing Russian diplomat was anything but withdrawn, emphasizing that he enjoyed a high moral ground.

Lavrov said that “blatant Russiaphobia” is causing Western countries to repress Russia and that their sanctions are causing great damage to the global economy. He said that the United States and other Western nations are prioritizing harming Russia above the G20’s mission to promote global economic health.

“The fact that they are not using the G20 for the purpose for which it was founded is evident,” he said.

Lavrov appeared to reject the proposal to create a sea corridor for Ukraine’s grain exports because of a NATO plot to send its warships into the Black Sea. And he dismissed any suggestion that he was disappointed he had not been in contact with Mr Blinken, with whom he last spoke during a mid-January meeting in Geneva that US officials saw as a last-ditch effort to start a new one. The invasion. The Treasury Department has set sanctions against Weeks later, Mr. Lavrov called him “directly responsible” for the February 24 military attack.

“It is not we who have abandoned all contact, it is the United States,” Lavrov said on Friday. “And we don’t run after anyone who suggests meetings. If they don’t want to talk, it’s their choice.”

Mr Lavrov also took the opportunity to denigrate Mr Johnson a day after he said he would give up a new leader. Mr Johnson has spearheaded one of the most drastic Western responses to the Russian invasion, strongly supporting the Ukrainian government.

“They are trying to establish this new alliance – Britain, the Baltics, Poland and Ukraine, calling it an attempt to create ‘a British bridgehead on the continent’ after Britain leaves the European Union,” Mr. Lavrov said. .

“They are saying that NATO has isolated Russia. “It was his party that isolated Boris Johnson.”

News of Mr Johnson’s planned resignation prompted the foreign secretary and his potential successor, Liz Truss, to return to London and miss Friday’s show.

While Mr. Lavrov’s taunts of Mr. Johnson and the West were not shared by other attendees, it was clear that the US and European positions towards Russia and Ukraine did not represent a consensus across the ministries. chief in Bali.

In his opening remarks as the host of the event, Indonesia’s foreign minister ignored Western rhetoric by saying that growing food and energy disruptions hold the world “responsible for the end of the world”. end the war sooner and resolve our differences at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield. American and European officials in general have tried to avoid the perception of pressuring Ukraine to hold peace talks with Putin, whom they suspect will negotiate in good faith.

While Mr. Lavrov may be barred from traveling to the US and the European Union, he was free to move through the luxury hotel hosting the meeting in Bali, which opens on Thursday.

India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who was seen walking and chatting with Mr. Lavrov through the hotel lobby, say on Twitter that he and Lavrov had “exchanged views” on issues including the “Ukrainian conflict” and Afghanistan. India has friendly relations with Moscow, a longtime patron and source of arms sales. It has also helped Russia get around sanctions by increasing its purchases of Russian oil, taking advantage of the substantial discounts offered by Moscow.

U.S. officials were frustrated by those purchases and tried to persuade India to distance itself from the influence of Moscow and abandon its neutral stance about the war in Ukraine. But in his pre-meeting remarks with Mr. Jaishankar, Mr. Blinken struck an entirely positive tone, calling India “a great partner of the United States” on a range of issues.

Blinken is likely to raise economic support for Russia during a meeting scheduled for Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Like India, China has increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude – helping Putin maintain oil revenues despite sanctions.

But US officials say Mr Blinken, who has not seen Mr. Wang since October, will also stress the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with Beijing and working together on areas of mutual interest. concerns such as climate and global health.

Late on Friday, Mr Blinken held a joint meeting with the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea, and expressed shock at Mr Abe’s killing, which he called “deeply disturbing” hesitate”.

“For the United States, Prime Minister Abe is an extraordinary partner and someone who is clearly a great leader for Japan, the Japanese people, but also greatly admired as a leader. global and a real person during his time in office has brought the relationship between our country, the United States and Japan to new heights,” he said.