Key Diplomatic Dynamics at G20: Lavrov’s Role And U.S. Absence

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in South Africa on Thursday for a two-day gathering of the Group of 20 nations, where leading European diplomats are anticipated to reaffirm their backing for Ukraine, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio notably chose to skip the event.

Lavrov’s visit to Johannesburg coincides with a significant bilateral dialogue between the United States and Russia aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which took place just two days prior.

This dialogue excluded U.S. European allies and Ukraine from the discussions.

U.S. President Donald Trump further complicated the West’s stance by criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and inaccurately attributing blame for the war to Ukraine, which is approaching its third anniversary next week.

Rubio opted out of the G20 meeting due to rising tensions with South Africa over policies that the Trump administration has labeled as anti-American.

The U.S. will be represented by Acting Ambassador to South Africa Dana Brown. The G20 comprises 19 of the world’s largest economies along with the European Union.

Participants on Thursday included EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

As South Africa holds the G20 presidency this year, it aims for the meeting to address pressing issues for the developing world, such as debt restructuring and climate change.

Source: africanews.com