Topline
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stormed out of a meeting at Friday’s Group of 20 summit of foreign ministers in Bali, Indonesia, according to multiple reports, in a predictably dramatic move in the high-ranking Kremlin official’s first direct showdown with Western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is pictured at the G20 Foreign Ministers Summit in Indonesia … [+]
Key Facts
Lavrov left after other diplomats confronted him about Russia’s role in the ongoing food crisis partially caused by the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports where much of the world’s grain supply travels through, according to the Guardian, an accusation the Kremlin has repeatedly denied despite mounting evidence of Russia’s role in the crisis.
Present at the summit were noted Kremlin critics like U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who appeared virtually.
AFP reports Lavrov also skipped sessions where Blinken and Kuleba spoke.
Lavrov accused Western leaders of committing “blatant Russophobia” in their criticism of his country at the meeting and said during talks they “lost their train of thought once they started to criticize Russia amid the situation in Ukraine,” according to state-run Russian news outlet Sputnik.
Noticeably absent from the summit was a posed group photo with the foreign ministers, an intentional move led by a boycott from Blinken, who did not want to be pictured with Lavrov, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo.
Crucial Quote
“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,” Lavrov said at the meeting, according to the Guardian.
What To Watch For
If Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Group of 20 summit of heads of state in November. The Kremlin said last month Putin plans to participate in the summit but it’s still up in the air if that will be in-person or virtually. It would be the first face-to-face encounter between Putin and leaders like President Joe Biden since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February.
Further Reading
Russia Says Putin Will Be Part Of G20 Summit—Setting Stage For Showdown With Western Leaders (Forbes)
Lavrov walks out of G20 talks after denying Russia is causing food crisis (Guardian)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/07/08/top-kremlin-official-lavrov-throws-fit-at-g20-meeting/