Russia's Lavrov showed no willingness to make peace at G20 meeting, EU's chief diplomat says

Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's stance at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in the US gave no indication that Russia is willing to engage in peace talks.

Source: AFP, as cited by European Pravda

Details: Asked by a journalist whether Lavrov had indicated at the meeting that Russia is willing to make concessions to end the war, Kallas said he had not.

She noted that even if Russian officials were to claim otherwise, their actions would tell a different story. She stressed that Russia must demonstrate through its actions that it is willing to negotiate.

Quote: "July, August and September were the deadliest months for civilians in Ukraine."

Details: The EU's top diplomat noted that Lavrov had voiced false information about the war in Ukraine at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.

Quote: "Of course, he put forward a lot of lies and many false claims, which we were also able to refute afterwards."

Details: Kallas called for continued pressure on Russia, notably to secure a ceasefire in the Black Sea.

Asked why the traditional group photo had not been taken at the foreign ministers' meeting, Kallas replied: "We must not normalise war crimes around this table."

Background:

• On 30 October, Lavrov arrived in the US to participate in the G20 ministerial meeting.
• Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said he wanted to pass a message to Lavrov urging Russia to end its war against Ukraine.
• There will be no traditional family photo of ministers at the G20 ministerial meeting in Atlanta. The Associated Press, citing two US officials, reported that the US cancelled plans for a joint photo with top G20 diplomats after several Europeans refused to be photographed with Lavrov.
• The US has invited Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami, where he could hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

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