Lavrov to lead Russian delegation at G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta

Travel and delegation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to the United States on 30 and 31 October to lead Russia's delegation at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the trip on Wednesday, 28 October, and spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Lavrov will head the delegation in person. She said Washington had been slow to issue visas to the Russian delegates, but that the problems were resolved at the last minute. Zakharova also said the way the US embassy in Moscow handled the visas suggested that not everyone in Washington welcomed the planned Russian visit.

Agenda and host

The United States holds the G20 presidency this year, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting the Atlanta gathering. Washington has said the talks will address geopolitical crises that are disrupting the world economy, including threats to freedom of navigation, energy and food security, and supply chains. Moscow expects an exhaustive debate on a wide range of geopolitical challenges, including conflicts and confrontation trends that undermine the foundations of the global economy. Poland will be represented at the Atlanta meeting by Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who holds the post of deputy prime minister as well. Poland takes part in this year's G20 work as a full member, at the special invitation of the United States.

Path to the December summit

The ministers' meeting is meant to lay the groundwork for the G20 leaders' summit scheduled for 14 and 15 December at Donald Trump's golf club near Miami, Florida. Trump has invited Vladimir Putin, but Putin has not yet confirmed that he will attend, and his last in-person G20 summit was in Japan in 2019. Marco Rubio has said he hopes Putin accepts the invitation, which would give him a chance to talk with Trump and other world leaders. Poland will be represented at the December summit by President Karol Nawrocki. Trump, Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are also preparing a trilateral meeting in China in November, where they plan to address global problems, denuclearisation, and conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine.

Ukraine talks backdrop

Efforts to revive peace talks over the war in Ukraine are gathering pace, and the Atlanta meeting falls in that context. The trip comes ahead of new talks between representatives from Moscow, Kyiv and Washington, which aim to mediate an end to the war. Washington's framing of the agenda refers to the wars in Ukraine and Iran, so the ministers' discussions are likely to touch on both conflicts alongside economic disruption. The Atlanta sessions therefore sit between the current diplomatic push on Ukraine and the leaders' summit planned for December.