The prospects for future collaboration in the forum are dubious after deeply divided top diplomats from the richest and largest developing nations failed to find common ground on Friday over Russia’s conflict in Ukraine and how to handle its global repercussions.
Group of 20 foreign ministers heard an emotional appeal from their Indonesian host for peace and an end to the war during talks that were upset by two unrelated and unexpected political developments, including the shocking assassination of a former Japanese prime minister far from the Indonesian resort of Bali where they were meeting.
However, despite the widening East-West divides caused by China and Russia on the one side and the United States and Europe on the other, consensus remained difficult. As in past years, there was no final communique or group photo, and there seemed to be a lot of animosity, particularly between the Russian and Western participants.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blatantly disregarded one another while being in the same room at the same time for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war.
According to a Western official present, Lavrov left the meeting at least twice: once when Annalena Baerbock, his German counterpart, spoke in the opening session, and again right before Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, was scheduled to appear by video at the second session.
Featured Image: TheDiplomat.com
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