NEW DELHI: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed a diplomatic victory on Sunday, characterizing the G20 summit held in India as a “success” following the bloc’s avoidance of direct criticism regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov stated, “We were able to prevent the West’s attempts to ‘Ukrainize’ the summit agenda,” as the two-day meeting of world leaders drew to a close. Notably, he maintained that the summit’s official text made no mention of Russia.
He said that nations aligned with Russia, including Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, had played an influential role in shaping the summit’s outcomes.
G20 Statement Avoids Directly Criticizing Russia
During the summit on Saturday, G20 leaders managed to paper over deep divisions regarding Russia’s 18-month-old invasion of Ukraine. While alluding to the challenges stemming from the conflict, the final statement refrained from directly attributing blame to Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin opted not to attend the summit, likely due to concerns over potential political backlash and the risk of arrest on war crimes charges. Kyiv’s foreign ministry criticized the G20 statement, asserting that there was “nothing to be proud of.”
Meanwhile, a senior White House official expressed satisfaction with the summit’s outcome, indicating that Washington viewed it positively.
