Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken clashed indirectly at an annual security meeting in Malta. Lavrov accused the West of risking escalation over Ukraine and walked out before Blinken and other speakers could respond. He criticized the West for reviving the Cold War and provoking a direct conflict with Russia, attributing these actions to a desire to bring NATO back into the political spotlight.
Blinken, who spoke after Lavrov left, shifted the blame for escalation back to Russia, highlighting various concerning actions by Russia in the region. He emphasized Ukraine's sovereign right to make its own choices about the future without interference from Moscow.
