G20 meet: Russia's Lavrov denounces West's isolation pitch, says West, not Moscow, isolating itself

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is in India to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, hit out at Western countries on Thursday (March 2) by saying that the West is isolating itself now. Addressing a press conference, Lavrov said the West represents itself as the beacon of democracy but keeps on bullying others.

"....We do not feel isolated. The West is isolating itself now. If the West is so democratic then why can't they apply democratic principles internationally?" Lavrov said. The Russian foreign minister's remark came after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia for its offensive in Ukraine, which recently marked one year.

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Sergey Lavrov told reporters, "...This invasion (of Ukraine as per the West) reflects the reaction to the war the West was preparing for many years and that is why it was arming the Ukrainian regime..."

Lavrov said that Western countries were conquering land and exploiting people, and unfortunately, the West did not drop its neocolonial habits. "The West is still promoting their interests without considering the interests of the global community," he added.

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Slamming the United States, Lavrov said that some countries under pressure said certain things or voted in a certain manner to relieve themselves from American pressure. But he pointed out that no developing country joined sanctions because they are aware of what kind of game the West is playing.

The Russian foreign minister also said that his country never stood against any state or any country developing foreign ties with any other state.

Ukraine war impacting Global South: S Jaishankar

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who earlier met Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, said on Thursday that the Ukraine war is impacting the Global South. "India has been saying very strongly since a year that for much of the Global South, this is a make or break issue. The costs of fuel, food & availability of fertilisers are extremely pressing issues," Jaishankar said during a press conference.

Jaishankar added the knock-on effects of the war are damaging countries already struggling with debt and impacted by the pandemic. "This matter is of deep concern that is why we have kept the focus of these meetings on the Global South & vulnerable countries," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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