Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly asked his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to end the invasion of Ukraine when the two met for a brief encounter in India on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting.
What Happened: Blinken urged Lavrov to take steps towards peace and pushed for the release of a U.S. citizen detained by Russia, reported Bloomberg.
Blinken told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday that he told Lavrov: “End this war of aggression, engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce a just and durable peace.”
A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said Blinken approached Lavrov and that “we didn’t push him away,” according to Bloomberg.
The spokeswoman said what Blinken said “doesn’t deserve our attention. There was nothing interesting.”
Why It Matters: The circumstances of the meeting between the apex U.S. diplomat and the Russian foreign minister remain unclear, noted Bloomberg.
Blinken had reportedly no plans to engage with Lavrov or China’s newly appointed foreign minister Qin Gang.
Blinken reportedly pushed Lavrov for the release of U.S. marine Paul Whelan and urged Lavrov to implement the New START nuclear weapons treaty.
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