Lavrov Arrives in US for G20 Meeting Amid Lawmaker Opposition

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov landed in the United States on Friday, Oct. 30, to take part in a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta. His visit comes days after Russian strikes killed civilians in several Ukrainian cities, including a railway station in Dnipro where 14 people were killed. Lavrov, who has been under U.S. sanctions since Russia’s 2022 invasion, is expected to use the Oct. 30-31 gathering to criticize Western sanctions and promote Moscow’s vision of a multipolar world.

"Lavrov should not be allowed in the country. As long as Putin is waging war against Ukraine and bombing cities, Russian leaders should not be welcomed in any of these forums. They lead a pariah state," Republican Rep. Don Bacon wrote on X on Oct. 28.

"Donald Trump needs to wake up. He needs to understand that courting favor with Vladimir Putin is not good for America," Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said in a CNN interview on Oct. 8.

Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined 13 bipartisan senators in urging the administration to bar Putin and other sanctioned Russian officials from G20 events on U.S. soil. The senators argued that granting diplomatic legitimacy to Russia while its forces continue attacks on Ukrainian civilians is inappropriate.

The G20 meeting, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will address a range of issues including energy security, trade and global supply chains. It precedes the Dec. 14-15 G20 leaders’ summit at President Trump’s Doral resort in Miami, where Putin has been invited but has not confirmed attendance. Lavrov will sit alongside foreign ministers from NATO and European nations, as well as representatives from China, India, Japan and other major powers. Ukraine was not invited to the foreign ministers’ session, a decision U.S. officials said reflects a policy of limiting participation to formal G20 members.