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During the G20 summit in Indonesia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected “frantic” criticism from Western governments over his country’s war in Ukraine and left hours before the meeting ended. Lavrov criticized his interlocutors for not addressing world economic problems. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the siege by Russian troops continues and the authorities warn that Severodonetsk is “on the brink of a humanitarian disaster”.
The G20 summit in Indonesia has put Russia and some of the strongest critics of its war in Ukraine in the same room. It was a meeting full of reproaches, considered by Moscow as insults.
“Aggressors”, “invaders” and “occupiers” were among the Western qualifiers for the Moscow government that aroused the anger of the leader of Russian diplomacy, but the straw that broke the camel’s back for the Russian leader, according to the ‘BBC’ , was the reluctance of the representatives of the different governments to be in the official photograph with him.
Lavrov ended up leaving earlier than planned. He was absent from most of the afternoon meetings on July 8, the final day of the meeting, but not before expressing his discontent. He stated that the Western countries’ discussion “swerved almost immediately, as soon as they took the floor, to frantic criticism of the Russian Federation regarding the situation in Ukraine… we heard a lot today,” he said.
Among his reproaches, the Russian diplomat assured that the nations missed the opportunity to address global financial problems. “During the discussion, Western partners avoided following the G20 mandate and dealing with world economic issues,” he said, adding that sanctions designed to “isolate Russia” amounted to a “declaration of war.”
For his part, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Josep Borrell, assured that Lavrov spoke, but did not wait to hear other comments, which he called “disrespectful” behavior.
However, among the main points discussed was the request to Russia to allow the departure of Ukrainian grains. The conflict has contributed to the skyrocketing of prices in the world of products such as wheat and corn, which has generated an increase in inflation.
“To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Your grain is not your grain. Why are they blocking the ports? They should let the grain out,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a plenary session.
Lavrov said that Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine and Turkey on possible ways to transport the grain. However, it is unclear when such talks might take place.
Severodonetsk, “on the verge of a humanitarian disaster”
Meanwhile, civilians and soldiers on the Ukrainian terrain continue to face the siege of Russian troops who have already completed 135 days of war.
In a statement, Serhai Haidai, governor of the Ukrainian province of Lugansk, most of which is now in the hands of the Moscow Army, said that the city of Severodonetsk is being extensively looted by Russian troops.
“The city is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster: there is no centralized supply of water, gas or electricity. Since the end of February, the occupiers have been shelling critical infrastructure facilities, almost completely destroying them,” he noted.
The lack of access to water and the risk of diseases due to the accumulation of corpses put the population in real danger. “The treatment plants are not working, as well as the pumping stations. Sewage accumulates. Add to that the air temperature. And the stench of the dead, those who were buried in the courtyards, and many remain in the apartments and entrances. Severodonetsk is witnessing a humanitarian disaster,” she emphasized.
Severodonetsk in Lugansk, itself in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, fell to separatist-backed Russian troops last June after heavy shelling destroyed bridges connecting the town.
Around 15,000 civilians remain trapped in the city that has been a strategic point for the Russian occupation of the Luhansk region.
The rest of the country also continues to face violence on a daily basis. Another heartbreaking scene was recorded when a crying man refused to move away from the body of his wife. He died as a result of a new attack when he went out to the garden of his house. “She was out feeding the cats when the shelling started,” the disconsolate man said.
The events were recorded in a residential area of Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country and a short distance from the border with Russia, where its inhabitants survive at risk.
Russia warns it has only used a ‘small portion’ of its force in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, saying Moscow has only just begun its campaign in Ukraine.
In a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday, July 7, the president challenged the West to try to defeat him militarily. “Today we heard that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say? Let them try it,” he challenged.
This Friday, the Kremlin reiterated that position and its spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, added that Russia has used “only a small part” of its war potential on Ukrainian territory.
“Russia’s potential is so great that only a small part is being used in the special operation,” he remarked, using the words with which he refers to a war to supposedly “denazify” the neighboring country, while kyiv and its Western allies insist that it is an unprovoked conflict.
The war is now in its fourth month and the situation for the population is increasingly terrifying, amid deaths, bombings and the risk of disease and famine.
With Reuters and local media
