Blinken, top Russian diplomat speak briefly at G-20

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke briefly with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday during the Group of 20 (G-20) conference about the war in Ukraine and the New START nuclear treaty.

U.S. officials said Blinken and Lavrov spoke for about 10 minutes during the G-20 conference in New Delhi, marking the first time in months a high-level meeting between the two countries occurred, The Associated Press noted. Thursday’s chat comes shortly after the Russia-Ukraine war entered its second year of conflict, further increasing tensions between Washington and Moscow

A senior U.S. official told the AP that Blinken made it clear that the U.S. would support Ukraine through the end of the war, that Russia should not suspend its participation in the New START nuclear treaty and that detained American Paul Whelan should be released. The official also said that Blinken “disabused” anyone of the notion that American support to Ukraine is wavering.

Russia announced earlier this month that it would suspend its participation in the New START treaty as Russia President Vladimir accused Western countries of trying to “inflict a strategic defeat” on his country.

The U.S. official on Thursday did not describe how Lavrov responded to Blinken’s comments.

India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, also said on Thursday that the G-20 conference ended without a consensus on the war in Ukraine, saying there were “divergences” on the issue.