Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov attends the G20 meeting in the USA. As Putin continues his war against Ukraine, Donald Trump is changing the way he deals with Moscow. This is becoming a problem for Germany.
It could be a photo that will receive particular attention around the world. The foreign ministers of the most important industrialized and emerging countries will meet this Friday in Atlanta. The host is US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also arrived. And then there is a man whose presence turns the conference into a political test: Sergey Lavrov.
The Russian Foreign Minister is taking part in the two-day consultations in the USA part. He may end up posing for the traditional group photo with his counterparts. That sounds like a diplomatic formality.
But while economic cooperation is being discussed in Atlanta and Lavrov says Moscow wants to push for a lifting of Western sanctions Russia his war of aggression against the Ukraine continued.
Lavrov’s participation in the meeting alone is not a sensation. Russia has never been excluded from the G20; the Russian Foreign Minister has also regularly attended meetings in recent years. What is new is how the political approach to the Kremlin is changing. Western states wanted to prevent normalization of relations with Russia. That is why there have been regular discussions in recent years about whether Lavrov or other Russian representatives should be in the final photo at G20 meetings. Also to demonstrate that there is no political normality with Moscow. However, this goal has failed, at least partially. The crucial question now is how much normality will be granted to Moscow again, even though Putin continues his war.
In Europe this question is solved stomach pain but even more so is the significance of the G20 meeting in Atlanta as a whole: Russia will have new opportunities there to improve its relations with the West and to present its ability to connect internationally without first having to change its war policy. Above all Donald Trump drives this development forward.
Trump opens the door for Putin
The American president has recently made decisions that suit the Kremlin. The USA agreed on a deal for Russian diesel deliveries and granted exemptions from certain sanctions. It is not possible to conclusively assess how much these measures will help Russia economically. Politically, however, they show that Washington is ready to give Moscow leeway.
At the same time, Trump is trying to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. However, his attitude is causing criticism. The Reuters news agency quotes a former American government official who accuses Trump of clearly siding with Putin and against Ukraine.
