Lavrov leaves G20 meeting early

Immediately after his speech, Lavrov left the hall. His ministry said he wanted to hold bilateral talks and then leave.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has left the G20 meeting of leading and emerging economic powers in Bali ahead of schedule. “Lavrov is still conducting bilateral talks, then he turns to the press and leaves,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the dpa news agency on request. He therefore does not take part in the official meal and in the afternoon session.

Lavrov complained that at the meeting, Western countries talked more about Russia than about global economic problems.

Lavrov’s criticism: Russia in focus – not the economy

According to Lavrov, Russia is ready to negotiate grain with Ukraine and Turkey. However, it is unclear when such talks could take place, Lavrov said. Millions of tons of grain are stored in Ukraine that cannot be exported.

He accused the West of preventing the transition to a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. If the EU and the US want Ukraine to win the battlefield, “then we probably have nothing to discuss with the West,” Lavrov said.

He also accused the West of pressuring Ukraine to “use its weapons” in the fighting. Lavrov criticized the fact that representatives of Western states denounced Russia as an “aggressor” and “occupier” because of the situation in Ukraine without looking at the reasons. Russia sees it as part of its right to an independent policy to use military force to assert its interests in Ukraine and criticizes Western sanctions as illegal. He came to Bali to get an impression “of how the West breathes,” says Lavrov.

After the speech from the hall

Lavrov left the meeting room immediately after his speech, according to sources in the delegation. He also eluded the reply from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, it was said. Baerbock, as acting chair of the G7 group of leading democratic economic powers, was scheduled to be the next speaker after Lavrov.

Shortly after arriving in Bali on Thursday evening, Baerbock said that in her reply to Lavrov she would “find very clear words that we do not accept this breach of international law”.

The Russian sat in the hall between representatives from Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Lavrov’s presence at the G20 meeting was also seen as a test for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s possible participation in the G20 summit on November 15-16, which is also taking place in Bali. Several states had questioned their participation if Putin attended the summit in person.

“Build bridges, not walls”

At the start of the meeting, hostess Retno Marsudi urgently called for an end to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “It is our responsibility to end the war as quickly as possible. And to build bridges and not walls,” said the Indonesian foreign minister. The world’s largest island state currently chairs the confederation of states. All other participating countries joined Marsudi’s call. A “strong chorus from around the world” urged Moscow to stop the attacks, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Shortly before, Marsudi Lavrov had greeted him politely but cautiously on his arrival at the luxury hotel Mulia in the seaside resort of Nusa Dua.

Journalist unwanted after question

During the greeting, two German journalists called Lavrov questions. ZDF correspondent Andreas Kynast: “When do you stop the war?” (“When are you going to end the war?”). Kynast said he was then taken out of the reception hall by Indonesian security officials. There were initially no further restrictions for him. A second German journalist shouted at Lavrov: “Why don’t you stop the war?” (“Why don’t you end the war?”).