In Moscow on September 1st, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated, "Russia will block the final declaration of this month's G20 summit unless it reflects Moscow's position on Ukraine and other crises, leaving participants to issue a non-binding or partial communique." Lavrov, who has held the role of President Vladimir Putin's foreign minister since 2004, is set to represent Russia at the Group of 20 summit scheduled for September 9-10 in New Delhi.
It's important to note that President Vladimir Putin has not traveled abroad since March when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him on suspicion of war crimes related to Ukraine.
Lavrov emphasized, "There will be no general declaration on behalf of all members if our position is not reflected," during an address to students at the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
The Kremlin frames the conflict in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, as an existential battle against an arrogant West. Putin contends that the West aims to dismantle Russia and take control of its vast natural resources. The West denies these intentions but expresses its desire for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield and has imposed several rounds of sweeping economic sanctions in response to the invasion, which Russia refers to as a "special military operation."
Other prominent powers such as China, India, and Brazil have called for peace while also reserving the right to determine their own relationship with Moscow. China, in particular, has accused the West of exacerbating the conflict by supplying Ukraine with weapons.
Lavrov mentioned that the West has raised the Ukraine issue in meetings preparing for the summit, and Russia's response has been that "the issue is closed for us." He accused the West of undermining international institutions by promoting its own agenda and suggested that if consensus cannot be reached at the G20 meeting, an alternative could be the issuance of a non-binding communique by the G20 presidency or the adoption of a document focusing solely on specific decisions within the G20's purview, allowing each member to express their views independently.