No one wanted to be photographed with Lavrov
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The G20 foreign ministers refused to take part in a joint photo shoot and meetings with Lavrov.
Russia is the main rogue country in the world. After the aggression against Ukraine, one should not have expected anything else. Moreover, Russian politicians are being expelled with a bang even from where they are still allowed out of old memory. For example, at the G20 summit in Bali, his place was publicly pointed out to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
They don’t even want to be around
Scandals during the summit began almost immediately after Lavrov’s arrival. According to Reuters, during a meeting between the Russian Foreign Minister and his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, someone was heard shouting “when will you stop the war?” and “why don’t you stop the war?”. Who exactly shouted it is not reported.
Lavrov described the situation at the summit as follows: “Aggressors”, “invaders”, “occupiers”… We heard a lot of things today. Everyone urged us to stop this operation and reach a peaceful settlement. I asked them to decide what they really want. If peace talks, then these talks were stopped by Ukraine… If the West wants talks, then it needs to keep that in mind.”
According to data cited by the Japanese agency Kyodo, the G7 foreign ministers refused to be photographed with Lavrov – on the initiative of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
At least one participant in the summit, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock, announced the boycott openly. “I can’t stand next to someone who simultaneously bombs Ukraine, attacks children, adults, civilians. Therefore, there will be no group photo from this summit,” she told reporters.
Lavrov himself said on this occasion: “As for meetings with me, statements that they would not take pictures with me: I didn’t invite anyone to be photographed. And in general I didn’t invite anyone anywhere. Indonesia invited me. As Indonesia invited President Putin to the summit, which will be in November.
Actually, Lavrov only met with his Indonesian colleague.
Kuleba’s performance
According to Ukrainian diplomats, Lavrov left the hall at the moment when Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba was speaking via video link. Nor did he listen to Burbock’s speech.
Lavrov also did not attend the evening session, during which Blinken spoke, devoting much of his speech to food security and demanding that Moscow allow exports of Ukrainian grain that had piled up in ports blocked by Russian troops to resume.
“I appeal to our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You must release this grain,” Blinken told Foreign Minister Lavrov, whom U.S. officials said he refused meet in person.
Prior to this, Lavrov said that “Ukraine must unblock its ports, clear them of mines or ensure safe passage through minefields, and already outside the territorial sea of Ukraine, Russia and Turkey are ready to ensure the safety of the respective ships and bring them to the straits.”
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