EU chief accuses Lavrov of falsehoods at G20, photo with ministers cancelled
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At the G20 summit in Atlanta, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas criticised Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for spreading false narratives about Ukraine, while European leaders rejected a joint photo with him.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov presented "lies" and false narratives about the war in Ukraine during G20 meetings in Atlanta, adding that Russia does not appear ready to move forward with peace talks. > "We were talking about the big geopolitical crisis, including Ukraine, and we were able to address Sergei Lavrov head-on with this. Of course, he put forward a lot of lies, a lot of false narratives that we were also able to then rebuke," Kallas told AFP.
Kallas noted that the deadliest months for Ukrainian civilians had been July, August and September, and urged Moscow to demonstrate a willingness to negotiate through its actions. European officials used the summit, which focused on global growth, energy security and trade, to press Russia for a ceasefire in the Black Sea corridor that is vital for Ukrainian agricultural exports.
Lavrov rejected criticism, accusing European nations of an "arrogant boycott" and praising the willingness of the United States administration under President Donald Trump to engage with Moscow. Plans for the customary G20 ministers' group photo were abandoned after several European officials objected to appearing alongside Lavrov. The United Kingdom foreign secretary Ed Miliband said the UK does not engage with Russia in that manner, and German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said there was "no normality with Russia".
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke briefly with Lavrov on the sidelines, with Lavrov describing the exchange as a "decent talk". The Trump administration also approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, valued at about $2.1 billion, though delivery is not expected until the early 2030s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the missiles may not arrive for several years and called on U.S. and European partners to provide existing stockpiles in the meantime.
In a separate humanitarian development, a joint relief convoy evacuated residents from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, marking the first such operation in more than four years of conflict. The convoy delivered food and medicine and facilitated the departure of more than 750 people, according to a post by First Lady Melania Trump.