Kallas Rebukes Lavrov Over ‘Lies’ and Falsehoods at G20

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas rebuked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for spreading "lies and false narratives" during a G20 summit in Atlanta, Georgia. The world's top diplomats convened for talks ahead of the December leaders' summit. The session, chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saw sharp disagreements, primarily over Ukraine and the Middle East conflicts.

European leaders had to refute what a diplomatic source called Lavrov's "quite provocative" remarks. Kallas told AFP that Lavrov had presented "a lot of lies, a lot of false narratives" at the meeting. Lavrov retaliated at a press conference, accusing European participants of an "arrogant boycott" for refusing to pose for a group photo with him.

He also defended the Trump administration's willingness to engage with Moscow. Earlier, Lavrov had criticized Poland's invitation to the G20, stating its presence "contributes nothing" and "violates the principles of diplomacy." However, Rubio later praised Poland and expressed hope for its return in the following year's summit, emphasizing President Trump's belief in Poland's worth as a global leader.