AP | , by Shobhit Gupta
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke on Thursday at a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 20 countries in the first high-level meeting in months between the two countries.
US officials said Blinken and Lavrov spoke for about 10 minutes on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in New Delhi. The brief skirmish has led to a deterioration in relations between Washington and Moscow while tensions have risen over Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Read here: Russia condemns Western ‘blackmail, threats’ over Ukraine war at G-20 meeting
A senior US official said that Blinken used the discussion to make three points to Lavrov: that the US would support Ukraine in the conflict for as long as it takes to end the war, that Russia should suspend involvement, should withdraw its decision. New START nuclear treaty and Moscow must release detained American Paul Whelan.
The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, declined to elaborate on Lavrov’s response, but said Blinken did not sense any near-term change in Russia’s behavior. Will happen.
