Russia and the U.S. failed to agree on language for a joint statement following a multilateral summit in Cambodia, making it unlikely the Group of 20 nations will reach a consensus in Indonesia either this week.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov put the blame on the U.S. and its allies for the lack of communique at the 18-nation East Asian Summit, saying on Sunday they “insisted on absolutely unacceptable language regarding the situation in Ukraine.” Russia refuses to describe its invasion of Ukraine as a war, instead calling it a “special military operation.”
Lavrov also accused the U.S. of dividing the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and criticized NATO for stepping up activity in the region. His comments on NATO echo a growing concern of China, even though the U.S. alliance system in Asia doesn’t include NATO’s collective defense agreements.
