US, Russian envoys gather for G20 with call to end Ukraine war

The top Russian and US envoys gathered on July 8 for a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia, with the host immediately telling them the Ukraine war must end and differences be resolved through negotiations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov joined their colleagues for the start of day-long talks, with Washington seeking to gain support from the world's top economies to pressure Moscow over the invasion of its neighbour.
"It clearly cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia's involvement and engagement in enterprises like the G20," a senior US official said ahead of the meeting.
In comments to open the meeting on the resort island of Bali, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi directly addressed the war.
"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield," Marsudi said, with Lavrov in the room.
While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions strained over issues including Taiwan.
The G20 meeting is looking to tackle the war's impact on food and energy security, as well as the global economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the ravages of climate change.
But Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises.

However the US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia.
The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit later this year and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba...