Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, has travelled to Bali, Indonesia, for a conference of foreign ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) countries, which is expected to be overshadowed by tensions sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At this conference, Russia’s top diplomat and some of Russia’s harshest critics will meet face to face for the first time since the conflict broke out on February 24. China, Indonesia, India, and South Africa are members of the G20 but have taken a more subdued stance than the Western countries who have accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine and levied sanctions.
Foreign diplomats began arriving in Bali on Thursday for the summit, and security in the Nusa Dua region, where the gathering is being held, has been stepped up.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned before her arrival that Russia should not be given a platform at the G20 summit in light of its conflict in Ukraine.
It is in everyone’s best interest to uphold and enforce international law. That’s what everyone has in common,” Baerbock added.
Russian news agency TASS said that Lavrov had hoped to meet with several of his G20 colleagues on the margins of the summit. However, some ministers, including Baerbock and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have now declined to meet with Lavrov.
Officials from the United States and Europe have said that the Bali meeting would not be “business as usual,” with the German foreign ministry’s spokesman suggesting that G7 nations will coordinate their reaction to Lavrov there.
During an April G20 finance conference in Washington, DC, top officials from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States walked out on Russian representatives.
Western nations appear to have concluded it would be detrimental to give the floor to Russia in light of earlier discussion of skipping forthcoming G20 meetings, according to experts.
Russia is accused of fueling a worldwide food crisis and exacerbating prices by blocking supplies of Ukrainian grain, which will be discussed at the two-day summit focused on energy and food security. Russia has announced that it will allow for the unrestricted export of grain.
