High US and Russian diplomats meet on sidelines of G20 for first time since Ukraine invasion

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian counterpart, Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 in New Delhi, in response to a State Division official touring with Blinken.

The transient contact marks a big second as high-level engagements between the US and Russia have change into exceedingly uncommon because the begin of the warfare final February. The assembly comes as tensions stay excessive over Ukraine in addition to Russia’s suspension of the New START nuclear weapons treaty.

Blinken and Lavrov spoke for roughly 10 minutes, the identical official mentioned. Within the dialog, Blinken referred to as on Russia to launch Paul Whelan and restart participation in New START, in addition to underscoring US help for Ukraine, in response to the supply.

The supply additionally mentioned that this assembly was unplanned and that Secretary Blinken was the one to method Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 overseas ministers assembly in New Delhi.

Russian Ministry of Overseas affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed to CNN that the assembly came about.

“Blinken requested for contact with Lavrov. On the go, as a part of the second session of the twenty, Sergey Viktorovich (Lavrov) talked. There have been no negotiations, conferences, and so on,” she mentioned.

The final time Blinken and Lavrov met in particular person was earlier than the Russian invasion.

Earlier Blinken mentioned {that a} assembly of G20 finance ministers was “marred” by the warfare in Ukraine.

“Sadly, this assembly has once more been marred by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified warfare in opposition to Ukraine, deliberate marketing campaign of destruction in opposition to civilian targets, and its assault on the core ideas of the UN Constitution,” he mentioned.