NUSA DUA, Indonesia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Western countries had tried to politicise a joint declaration at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit, and accused them of pushing to include a line condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on behalf of all participating countries.
A draft declaration by leaders of the G-20, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, said most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, highlighting Russia’s strong opposition to any language seen to criticise its actions.
“Yes, our Western colleagues tried in every way to make that declaration politicised and tried to push through language that implied condemning the actions of the Russian Federation on behalf of the entire G-20, which includes us,” Mr Lavrov said.
“But let’s do this in a fair way and let’s make it clear that, on this topic, we have differences,” he said.
“Yes, there is a war going on in Ukraine, a hybrid war that the West has unleashed and been preparing for years.”
The war, which Russia describes as a “special military operation”, has overshadowed the summit despite calls from host Indonesia for unity and to focus on action to resolve global economic problems such as inflation, and food and energy security.
Mr Lavrov, who heads Russia’s delegation at the summit after the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin was unable to attend, said work on the declaration was nearing completion and that it would be approved after Wednesday’s meeting.
“The declaration in question covers all the areas that have been discussed, including food and energy, healthcare and digitalisation,” he said.
He also said that Ukraine’s conditions for restarting talks with Moscow were unrealistic.
“All problems are with the Ukrainian side, which is categorically refusing negotiations and putting forward conditions that are obviously unrealistic,” Mr Lavrov told reporters.
He said he had put forward that position during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, and that he had explained Russia’s position during talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Russian and Ukrainian officials held several rounds of negotiations during the early stages of the conflict – including meetings hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – that ended without agreements to curb fighting.
Along with the UN and Turkey, Russia and Ukraine this summer inked a deal to unblock several Ukrainian ports, allowing for grain exports from one of the world’s largest producers.
But Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Kyiv cannot hold peace negotiations with Moscow as long as Mr Putin remains in power.
“Scholz and Macron are well aware that this process is hindered by Ukraine, which, including through laws, by Zelensky’s decree, bans negotiations with the Russian Federation,” Mr Lavrov said, adding that “this is not a question for (Russia)“.
“We want to see concrete evidence that the West is seriously interested in disciplining Zelensky and explaining to him that this cannot continue, that this is not in the interests of the Ukrainian people,” the Foreign Minister said.
Mr Putin was forced to skip the summit as he reckons with a string of embarrassing battlefield defeats and a grinding war that threatens the future of his regime.
Mr Zelensky, meanwhile, delivered a video appeal to G-20 leaders, calling on them to pressure Russia to withdraw its forces after nearly nine months of fighting. REUTERS, AFP
