The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry had to speak via video link, but during his address, the meeting participants began to leave the hall in solidarity with Ukraine.
Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov was unable to attend the Disarmament Conference in Geneva, which took place on March 1, due to sanctions restrictions. The Russian edition of Interfax writes about this, citing the words of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Ryabkov.
According to Ryabkov, the Russian diplomat had hoped to personally visit Switzerland and take part in the event, but was unable to because of EU sanctions.
“First of all, let me convey words of welcome on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, who hoped to personally take part in the work of the Conference on Disarmament while in Geneva. However, this turned out to be impossible due to unilateral illegitimate restrictions imposed by the European Union,” the deputy minister said.
According to Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian Federation is inclined to regard this case as a way to avoid dialogue, which supposedly should help to increase the level of global security and stability.
Swiss journalist Darius Roshebin noted that Sergei Lavrov spoke at the Conference on Disarmament online, but at the beginning of his address, representatives of European countries started to leave the room.
Speech by Sergei Lavrov at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva
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The press service of the EU delegation to the UN noted that all the ambassadors of the EU countries left the hall during Lavrov’s speech as a sign solidarity with Ukraine.
We cannot be expected to sit idly by while Russia actively spreads disinformation and lies about its aggression against Ukraine.
Recall that on March 2, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, for the first time since the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, had a conversation with Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 representatives in the capital New Delhi.
Earlier, on February 7, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that some of Sergey Lavrov’s statements intellectually discredit him. Borrell noted that the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry was once a respected diplomat.
