On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he advised his Russian coequal Sergei Lavrov to end this war of aggression in Ukraine. Blinken said the meeting was unplanned and pursued by the US when Lavrov was on the move.
Blinken and Lavrov spoke for less than 10 minutes in what is believed to be their first face-to-face discussion since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Blinken said the meeting was unexpected and sought by the US when Lavrov was on the move.
I told the foreign minister what I and so many others said last week at the United Nations and what so many G20 foreign ministers said today — end this war of aggression, engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce a just and lasting peace. Only Russia and China opposed condemnation of the war in Ukraine.”
Blinken told reporters after talk in New Delhi.
Blinken also added that he asked Lavrov that
The US Secretary of State said he asked Lavrov if Russia should praise international treaties, which place supportable limits on the nuclear stocks of both the US and Russia.
His statement opens questions about Russia’s support for the common effect document carried out under India’s presidency of the G20.
The chair’s statement by India today reiterated the declaration issued by G20 last year in Bali that strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, and stressed that it was causing immense suffering, and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy.
Russia and China were the only two countries that made clear that they will not sign that text.”
Blinken stated.
He also highlighted that 18 members of the G20 restated that it was necessary to maintain international law in the multilateral system. This included protecting all of the regulations glorified in the alliance of the United Nations and attaching to international humanitarian law, he said.
A senior US official said Blinken recommended Russia to change its decision on the New START nuclear treaty.
We always remain hopeful that the Russians will reverse their decision and be prepared to engage in a diplomatic process that can lead to a just and durable peace, but I wouldn’t say that coming out of this encounter there was any expectation that things will change in the near term.”
The US official said.
Blinken, the official added, wanted to “disabuse the Russians of any notion that our support might be wavering or the support from our allies and partners might be wavering”.
