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Russia showed no sign Friday of softening its position on Ukraine as G20 foreign ministers opened talks in Atlanta, with disagreements over the wars in Ukraine and Iran exposing divisions among members of the group.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the two-day meeting, which comes days before the U.S. midterm elections and ahead of a G20 leaders’ summit scheduled for December at U.S. President Donald Trump’s Doral resort in Miami.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of presenting “lies” and “false narratives” during the talks, particularly over Ukraine.
“He put forward a lot of lies, a lot of false narratives,” European officials challenged, Kallas told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A European diplomatic source described Lavrov’s remarks as “quite provocative.”
Lavrov, meanwhile, criticized European countries for what he called an “arrogant boycott” and praised the Trump administration’s willingness to engage with Moscow.
European officials used the meeting to press Moscow for a ceasefire, particularly in the Black Sea, a major corridor for agricultural exports.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said “there is no normality with Russia” and said he would again call on Moscow to accept Ukraine’s offer for a ceasefire beginning in the Black Sea.
Plans for a traditional family photo of G20 foreign ministers were canceled after some European officials objected to appearing alongside Lavrov, a diplomatic source told AFP.
A U.S. official said the photo was dropped to prevent “a ceremonial photo opportunity” from becoming a diplomatic distraction.
European leaders have also declined to appear in photographs with Russian delegations at other G20 meetings this year as the war continues more than four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rubio spoke briefly with Lavrov on the sidelines of the meeting, with the Russian foreign minister describing the exchange as a “decent talk.”
The interaction drew attention as Washington pursues diplomacy over Ukraine while also seeking Russian cooperation on lowering fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Fresh negotiations involving Moscow, Kyiv and Washington are expected in November.
Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 leaders’ summit in Florida in December and has eased some sanctions on Moscow while promoting an agreement for Russia to sell diesel as fuel prices have risen.
Russia has largely been isolated by Western governments since it invaded Ukraine, while Lavrov remains under international sanctions.
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