MOSCOW SAYS LAVROV WILL ATTEND G20 MEETING IN ATLANTA
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to lead Moscow’s delegation to the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta on October 30–31, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the gathering. Zakharova said most arrangements for the Russian delegation had been resolved “at the last minute.”
Moscow says it will use the meeting to promote its vision of a “multipolar world,” invoking the UN Charter and respect for national sovereignty.
That claim deserves scrutiny. Russia is waging a war against Ukraine’s sovereignty while occupying Ukrainian territory. Its representatives cannot credibly invoke those principles without being challenged over their own government’s actions.
Russia remains a G20 member, so participation in the forum does not itself represent a new agreement with Washington. But the diplomatic platform still matters: it gives Moscow an opportunity to present itself as a normal partner in discussions about global stability while continuing the war destabilizing Europe.
Coming alongside the Trump–Putin diesel agreement, Lavrov’s planned visit adds to concerns about Russia regaining access and commercial opportunities without making corresponding concessions over Ukraine.
The question for the governments meeting in Atlanta is what they will demand of Moscow. Russia should face the consequences of its conduct at the negotiating table, rather than simply being allowed to change the subject.