► Lavrov leaves a meeting at the G20
Indonesia, the host country of the G20 this year, called for an end to the war in Ukraine on Friday at the opening of a meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in Bali. “It is our responsibility to end the war as soon as possible and to settle our differences at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield”said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in the presence of her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
The effect of war “is being felt around the world, on food, energy and budgets”she pointed out. “And as always, poor and developing countries are the most affected”.
The United States, supported by some of its Western allies, had called for Russia to be excluded from international forums. Indonesia, which wants to maintain a position of neutrality as host country of the G20, however confirmed its invitation to the Russian foreign minister, but also invited his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, who will participate online.
The front of the Western allies has been damaged by the hasty departure of the head of British diplomacy Liz Truss, after the announcement of the resignation of Boris Johnson as leader of the British Conservative party. She left the island of Bali on Friday morning.
The heads of diplomacy of the G20 have for their part started a meeting which promises to be tense with the participation of the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart who had not met since the start of the war in Ukraine. . Anthony Blinken refused to meet with Sergei Lavrov, prompting a harsh comment from the Russian minister. “It was not us who abandoned the contacts, it was the United States”, he told reporters.
Sergei Lavrov walked out of the meeting on Friday when Germany’s Annalena Baerbock criticized Moscow over the war in Ukraine, diplomats said. “Our Western partners sought to avoid talking about global economic issues. As soon as they spoke, they almost immediately launched into a frenzied criticism of Russia on the situation in Ukraine, calling us aggressors”he regretted.
► The bombardments continue
On the ground, in the Donbass basin where the Ukrainian army has fiercely slowed down the Russian push in recent weeks, the time was not for negotiations on Thursday but for strikes on towns still in Ukrainian hands.
“Airstrike against the central part of Kramatorsk. There are victims”, also announced the mayor of the city, calling on residents to stay in the shelters. This “deliberate attack on civilians” did “one dead and six injured”said the regional governor, adding that these figures were provisional and that “six buildings” had been affected.
► An opponent of the war sentenced to 7 years in prison
A Moscow municipal elected official, Alexei Gorinov, was sentenced to 7 years in prison on Friday for denouncing the Russian assault on Ukraine, in the midst of a wave of repression to silence any criticism of the offensive decided by Vladimir Putin.
Judge Olessia Mendeleïeva convicted the 60-year-old defendant of having “disseminated clearly false information” on the Russian army using “his official duties” and to have done so as part of an organized group motivated by “political hatred”.
► Vladimir Putin provokes NATO
“Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What to say ? Let them try! »Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday during a meeting with the leaders of the groups in the lower house of parliament. “We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people”he continued.
These martial declarations come as the United States and European countries have accelerated arms deliveries to the kyiv army in recent weeks. “Everyone should know that we haven’t started serious things yet” in Ukraine, launched the master of the Kremlin in one of the harshest speeches in weeks. However, he did not announce an expansion of the military operation or other concrete initiatives.