Lavrov walks out of G20 talks as West presses Moscow on Ukraine

BALI, Indonesia; Russia´s top diplomat stormed out of talks with G20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia on Friday as Western powers criticised Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Washington and allies condemned Russia´s assault ahead of the meeting before Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov faced what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a barrage of Western criticism at the closed-door talks.

“What we´ve heard today already is a strong chorus from around the world... about the need for the aggression to end,” Blinken said from the meeting on the resort island of Bali. Blinken and Lavrov had joined colleagues for day-long talks in their first meeting since the outbreak of war, with the host immediately telling them the conflict must end through negotiations.

But Lavrov walked out of a morning session as German counterpart Annalena Baerbock criticised Moscow over its invasion, diplomats said.He also left an afternoon session before Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the ministers virtually and was not present as Blinken condemned Russia.

“Russia was so isolated that Lavrov left the conference at midday after speaking,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in an interview with AFP.“There was not a state to defend the Russian attitude, to subscribe to the Russian logic.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told AFP Lavrov “wasn´t listening to others” in the meeting. “That’s not the most constructive way to attend a G20 meeting,” he said.Western diplomats said Lavrov heard no unambiguous support during the session, even from nations that do not staunchly back the US and European position on Ukraine.

“I think Russia was surprised by how many G20 participants made forceful statements about Russian aggression,” a Western official said on condition of anonymity.Another Western official predicted President Vladimir Putin would think twice about attending the summit later this year after the criticism faced by Lavrov.Speaking outside the Mulia hotel, Lavrov remained defiant and accused Western nations of avoiding “talking about global economic issues” instead of the war.

“From the moment they speak, they launch into fevered criticism of Russia,” he told reporters.Blinken shunned a bilateral meeting with Lavrov and instead accused Russia of triggering a global food crisis, demanding Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine.

“To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,” Blinken said in the closed-door talks, according to a Western official present.

Lavrov earlier told reporters he would not “go running” after Washington for talks.“It was not us who abandoned contact, it was the United States,” he said.Before the meeting, Blinken sat down with his French and German counterparts and a senior British official to discuss “Russia´s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice” in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday the West’s plan to isolate Russia at the G20 summit over Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine did not work out.“The G-7´s plan to boycott Russia at the G-20 has failed,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on messaging app Telegram.She also accused Germany’s foreign minister of “lying” after Annalena Baerbock criticised Moscow for blocking dialogue with international partners.