Kaja Kallas Rebukes Sergey Lavrov Over ‘Lies’ at G20 Talks

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of spreading “a lot of lies” about the war in Ukraine during talks with G20 ministers in Atlanta on Friday.

“We were discussing the major geopolitical crisis, including Ukraine, and we were able to address Sergey Lavrov directly on this issue,” she told the AFP news agency.

“Naturally, he advanced numerous lies and false narratives, which European officials challenged,” Kallas added.

European officials also used the occasion to increase pressure on Moscow as they sought to secure a ceasefire in the Black Sea, prompting pushback from Lavrov, a diplomatic source told AFP.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he told Lavrov during the plenary session that “he should have the courage to tell Putin that Russia will not win this war.”

The UK minister also confronted Lavrov over a recent attack on a railway in Dnipro that killed 15 people, stressing that Moscow is the “aggressor” in the conflict that began in February 2022 when Russian forces launched their full-scale invasion.

At a press conference on Friday, Lavrov “welcomed” the United States’ willingness to engage in dialogue with Moscow while criticizing what he called Europe’s “arrogant boycott.”

“This is a good lesson for our European colleagues,” he said of Washington’s approach.

Several officials at the meetings reportedly declined to stand for a “family photo” with Lavrov, leading U.S. organizers to cancel the picture.

The G20 meetings took place just days before the United States’ key midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Congress during President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.

Washington Clears $2.1 Billion Patriot Missile Package for Ukraine

On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced that it had approved a package of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors worth $2.1 billion for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has continued to press U.S. and European allies for additional interceptors as Ukraine’s forces endure ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks.

While welcoming the new package and thanking the United States for its “strong decision,” Zelenskyy warned that deliveries could take years.

“Five hundred PAC-3 interceptors is a substantial number, and very soon—this winter—they could form a highly effective defense package,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

“However, deliveries are stipulated to begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS,” he added. “We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 in Atlanta.

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