TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov walked out of the room during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali on Friday, July 8. He left the meeting twice during the G20 FMM event in Bali.
The world forum was the first face-to-face meeting attended by Russia and Western ministries of G20 countries that deliver harsh criticism against the war in Ukraine. The firm spotlight was on Lavrov as he came to yesterday's meeting.
He was immediately greeted with shouts of when to stop the war. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi also asked Lavrov why he did not stop the war.
Lavrov showed up from the first session with a strong rebuke from Western countries during the discussions on the Russian Federation. "Aggressor, invader, we heard a lot of these today," he told journalists yesterday.
In the next session, Lavrov read a statement and then left without listening to other participants. In his short speech, Lavrov said, “If the West doesn't want talks to happen but wants Ukraine to beat Russia on the battlefield, then there's nothing to talk about with the west.”
Lavrov also accused the West of pressuring Ukraine to use its weapons in war. He was walking out as Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, began to speak.
DANIEL AHMAD | REUTERS
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