Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stayed in the room during a virtual address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G20 summit, before firing back with unsubstantiated accusations, people familiar with the matter said, according to Bloomberg.
The speeches were a prominent fixture of the first session of the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, that began Tuesday, and signaled how tensions and fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are hanging over the bloc.
Zelensky in his address, appealed for support from what he called G19 nations – a pointed reference to the group without Russia.
Lavrov, attending in place of President Vladimir Putin, then took his turn to speak but said he had also to respond to Zelensky. He repeated Putin’s argument justifying the February 24 invasion that Russia was fighting neo-Nazis in Ukraine, people said, even as the Kremlin has repeatedly failed to show evidence for its claims.
The reaction was muted in the room, the people said, suggesting other world leaders are tiring of the bombast with Russia’s war now in its ninth month.
There have been walkouts in protest by Ukraine’s allies at previous international gatherings where Russian officials have spoken.
Negotiators for the G20 meeting have cobbled a draft communique that includes language noting “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering.” The declaration though avoids calling it Russia’s war. Moscow refuses to call its actions an invasion but rather a “special military operation.”
Zelensky, in his remarks, confirmed Ukraine is working with supporter nations to fund new shipments of grain around the anniversary of the 1930s Holodomor famine – a symbolic push that comes amid discussions to extend a deal that allows grain exports from its war-stricken ports. The plan was earlier reported by Bloomberg.
In his address, Zelensky called on all countries – “and in particular your countries, dear G-19 leaders – to join our initiative to help the poorest with food,” according to a person familiar with his remarks.