'No signs' Russia ready to engage after G20 snub, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Bali, Indonesia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday (July 9) said that they saw "no signs" of Russia engaging with G20 diplomats to discuss Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The G20 foreign ministers met on Friday in Indonesia to discuss global issues but the key meeting in Bali was overshadowed by the war in Ukraine and its impact on the world economy. The host Indonesia urged foreign ministers to help end the conflict. 

However, Moscow faced a barrage of criticism at talks in Indonesia. Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov stormed out of a meeting after Washington and its allies condemned Moscow's assault on its neighbour during the closed-door talks. 

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After meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Saturday, Blinken said, "We saw no signs whatsoever that Russia is prepared to engage in meaningful diplomacy. If there is an opportunity for diplomacy, we will seize it." 

The G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia came against the backdrop of raging battles in eastern Ukraine. Currently, there are tensions between Moscow and Western nations over the ongoing war.  

Lavrov walks out 

On Friday, Lavrov walked out of a morning session as his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock criticised Russia for Ukraine's invasion. 

After that, he left an afternoon session before Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the ministers virtually. 

Blinken said, "There was a strong consensus and Russia was left isolated, as it has been many times since this war begin. In fact, Foreign Minister Lavrov left the meeting early, maybe because this message had been so resoundingly clear." 

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Some expected that bilateral talks might take place between US and Russian diplomats, but Blinken snubbed a direct meeting with Lavrov. Instead, Blinken accused Russia of the global food crisis. He also demanded Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine. 

Previously, Lavrov had told reporters he would not "go running" after Washington for talks. He said, "It was not us who abandoned contact, it was the United States." 

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