Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shunned meetings of G20 foreign ministers on Friday (July 8) after a flood of Western statements condemning Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
To discover
Follow information on the war in Ukraine with the Figaro application
Sergei Lavrov and his American counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, were together for the first time since the start of the war in February during this meeting of the heads of diplomacy of the G20 countries on the Indonesian island. from Bali.
“
What we have already heard today is a big chorus from all over the world, not just from the United States for (…) that the (Russian) aggression stops
,” Antony Blinken told reporters.
Sergei Lavrov absent from several sessions
Indonesia, which strives to maintain a position of neutrality as the host country of the G20, had from the opening called for an end to the conflict, underlining its serious consequences around the world.
“
It is our responsibility to end the war as soon as possible and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield
,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in the presence of her Russian counterpart. Sergei Lavrov.
The effect of the war "
is being felt around the world, on food, energy and budgets
", she pointed out.
"
And as always, poor and developing countries are the most affected
."
Sergei Lavrov left the morning session when his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock criticized Moscow over the war in Ukraine, diplomats say.
Sergei Lavrov was also absent from a session in which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke online, and as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Russia, several diplomats told the AFP.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Lavrov's anti-Semitic statements push Israel into the kyiv camp
Antony Blinken had refused to meet his Russian counterpart separately, and denounced the responsibility of Russia in the world food and energy crises, asking Moscow to authorize the exit of cereals from Ukraine.
In response, the Russian foreign minister said he "
will not run
" after Washington for talks.
"Unjustifiable War"
Sergey Lavrov denounced the approach of Western countries to use the G20 arena for anything other than a forum discussing major global issues.
“
Our Western partners sought to avoid talking about global economic issues.
As soon as they spoke, they almost immediately launched into a frenzied criticism of Russia on the situation in Ukraine, calling us aggressors
,” he regretted.
Antony Blinken had previously met with French and German ministers and a British representative to discuss this "
unjustifiable and unprovoked
" war, the State Department said in a statement.
They discussed "
ways to address global food security concerns resulting from Russia's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian agriculture
".
The United States, supported by some of its Western allies, had called for Russia to be excluded from international forums.
The invasion of Ukraine changed priorities
But Indonesia, concerned about its neutrality, had confirmed its invitation to the Russian Foreign Minister while also inviting his Ukrainian counterpart.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked him to “
remember the 344 families who lost their children listening to Russian lies
”.
“
The minister of the country responsible for their deaths is before you today to share his thoughts on how Russia sees cooperation in our globalized world
,” he continued.
The meeting was also overshadowed by the announcement of the attack which cost the life of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an electoral rally in his country.
This attack against a longtime ally of the United States is “
a very sad moment
”, estimated Antony Blinken, while the death of Shinzo Abe had not yet been announced but that he was in a “
serious
condition”. ".
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Ukrainian refugees leave Poland to return to their country
This G20 is a prelude to the summit of heads of state to be held on the Indonesian island in November and which was to be devoted to the means of ensuring global recovery after the coronavirus pandemic.
But the invasion of Ukraine changed priorities by bringing together Westerners to denounce the Russian offensive, and sent food and energy prices soaring.
There will be no group photo at the end of the tense meeting, contrary to tradition, said an Indonesian official.
British departure
The front of the Western allies, however, has been damaged by the hasty departure of the head of British diplomacy Liz Truss, after the announcement of the resignation of Boris Johnson as leader of the British Conservative Party.
She left the island of Bali on Friday morning, a British embassy official confirmed to AFP.
US Secretary of State Blinken was also to try to reopen dialogue with Beijing during talks with his counterpart Wang Yi, scheduled for Saturday after months of tension related to several issues, including that of Taiwan.
Read alsoHow the war in Ukraine disadvantages gas in favor of coal
The two officials will discuss the "
guardrails
" around the bilateral relationship under high tension, but also look into the possibilities of cooperation, said a US official for East Asia.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had met his Russian counterpart on Thursday for talks dominated by Ukraine.