Sergey V. Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, on Friday in Bali, Indonesia. Credit … Photo of Stefani Reynolds pool
NUSA DUA, Indonesia – He was a skunk at the tropical resort party, shunned by many, though not all.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov attended a meeting of finance ministers of the Group of 20 industrialized countries in Bali on Friday, despite his country’s pariah status in Europe and beyond. brutal war in Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken refused to meet with him, as did several Western officials. Few even agreed to put up with him for the usual photographs.
But as a reflection of why Russia’s economy continues to function, Mr. Lavrov met directly with several ministers from major nations who have refused to join the Western-led coalition against his country, including those from China, India, Brazil, Turkey and Argentina. . and Indonesia.
And in the statements of a plenary session focused on food and energy insecurity, Mr. Blinken indirectly pointed to Mr. Lavrov and his colleagues in Moscow, renewing the charges that the blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea of Russia prevented the export of vital supplies of grain.
“To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country,” Mr. Blinken. “His grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking ports? You should let the grain out. ”He noted that the United States had pledged more than $ 5 billion to address the issue.
A Western official said Mr. Lavrov was not present at Mr.’s statements. Blinken, after leaving just before the Ukrainian Foreign Minister spoke at the beginning of the session, leaving the role of speaking to a subordinate who said he had no comments ready. Mr. Lavrov also left a previous group session during statements by the German Foreign Minister.
But in statements to reporters, the famous sardonic Russian diplomat was defiant.
Mr. Lavrov said “blatant Russophobia” was causing Western nations to damage the global economy through sanctions against his country, and blamed the United States for a rupture in diplomacy between Washington and Moscow.
The Russian diplomat said Western nations like the United States were acting against the Group of 20’s mission to promote global economic health while maintaining its enormous sanctions on its country.
“The fact that they don’t use the G20 for the purpose for which it was set is obvious,” he said.
The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mr. Lavrov immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling him “directly responsible” for the military assault.
On Friday, he rejected any idea that would disappoint him not to talk to Mr. Blinken, with whom he last spoke during a mid-January meeting in Geneva that U.S. officials saw as a last-ditch effort to prevent an invasion.
“It wasn’t us who left all the contacts, it was the United States,” Mr. Lavrov. “And we don’t run after anyone who suggests meetings. If they don’t want to talk, it’s their choice. I didn’t think it was necessary to start a confrontation.”
Mr. Lavrov also took the opportunity on Friday to disparage British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a day after Mr. Johnson said he would step down. Johnson had led one of the West’s most aggressive responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“They were trying to establish this new alliance: the UK, the Baltic countries, Poland and Ukraine,” said Lavrov, who described it as an attempt to create “an English bridgehead on the continent” after the UK left the European Union.
“They were saying that NATO isolated Russia,” Lavrov said. “It was his party that isolated Boris Johnson.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who was seen walking and chatting with Mr. Lavrov for the luxury hotel that hosted the meeting, said on Twitter that he and Mr. Lavrov had “exchanged views on contemporary regional and international issues, such as the conflict in Ukraine and Afghanistan.” India has maintained friendly relations with Moscow, a longtime patron and a source of arms sales, and has helped Russia overcome sanctions by increasing its purchases of Russian oil at a significant discount.