After informing his peers that the G20 summit of the world’s top economies was prematurely ending and that the sanctions intended to isolate Russia amounted to a declaration of war, the Russian foreign minister withdrew.
Sergei Lavrov confronted western leaders in person for the first time at the meeting on Friday since Russia launched its offensive on Ukraine. He accused the west of being overly critical of what he believed to be Moscow’s legitimate actions.
When Indonesia, the G20 chair this year, hosted a meeting in Bali, Lavrov delivered a stern but succinct speech. He said: “If the west doesn’t want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield – because both views have been expressed – then perhaps there is nothing to talk about with the west.”
The seasoned Russian diplomat claimed that the west was pressuring Ukraine to “use its weapons” in the conflict when he was seated at the conference between Saudi Arabia and Mexico. When Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, began to speak, he left the room.
Later, Baerbock stated: “[Lavrov] spent a significant portion of the negotiations not in, but outside the room, emphasizes that there is not a millimeter of desire to talk on the Russia side. Even if there were disagreements about sanctions, she reported that the sentiment in the room was 19 to 1 against Russia’s invasion.
Lavrov stated that he traveled to Bali to experience “how the west breathes.” According to Lavrov, it had long been clear that the west did not use the G20 for the intended reasons. He asserted that participants from underdeveloped nations were against this strategy.
“Intruders, occupants, and aggressors. Such things have been mentioned quite a bit today, he continued, referring to the speeches given by his western counterparts. He claimed that certain remarks were written for dramatic effect and used Boris Johnson as an illustration. Lavrov answered, “Well, he resigned, so be it. “Everyone insisted that Russia must be cut off. But so far, Boris Johnson has been marginalized by his own party.
Attempts to persuade Russia to let the transfer of stocks of Ukrainian grain through a secure maritime corridor in the Black Sea through an independently policed area occupied a large portion of the meeting and negotiations that took place outside of it.
However, negotiations, which are mostly being driven by Turkey and the UN, have been going on for weeks with no success.
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According to Lavrov, Ukraine should demine its ports or provide safe access over minefields to lift the blockade of its ports.
The cargo ships would thereafter be kept safe outside Ukrainian sovereign land so they could continue into the Mediterranean, he said, adding that Russia and Turkey would take care of it. Lavrov and Mevlüt Avuşolu, the Turkish foreign minister, met in Bali, but there was no immediate progress made as a result of their meeting.
Lavrov asserted that the blockaded grain made up 1% of the global supply, rejecting claims that the conflict was a major contributor to the overall global grain deficit.
According to western officials, Russia views the theft of Ukrainian grain and the restriction of its exports as steps intended to damage the Ukrainian economy and raise the cost of the west’s assistance to the impoverished nation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked Moscow to allow grain from Ukraine to be exported at a plenary session.
According to a representative, Blinken said to his Russian counterparts, “To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Your grain is not in it. Why are the ports being blocked? The grain needs to be let out.
Lavrov reiterated that due to western restrictions, such as the fact that ships lacked insurance or were prohibited from calling at foreign ports, Russia was unable to sell its own grain.
Josep Borrell, the head of the EU’s foreign affairs department, retaliated by claiming that EU sanctions “do not ban the import of Russian goods or fertilizers, nor payment for such Russian exports.” He claimed that Russia had invaded a region that served as the world’s breadbasket and turned the Black Sea’s commerce channels into a battleground.
Western leaders declined to participate in a group photo with Lavrov, but claimed that by attending the meeting rather than boycotting it entirely, they demonstrated a stronger desire to present their case than to just assume that other neutral states share their viewpoint.