Putin open to talks at G20 meeting with Joe Biden, says Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

Russia has expressed openness to talks, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said on Tuesday, October 11, that President Vladimir Putin will not be turning down a meeting with his American counterpart Joe Biden at the upcoming G20 meeting. In an interview that was recently telecasted on Russian state television, Lavrov said that Moscow will be open to listening to proposals, but has not received any “serious offers” of negotiation so far, The Guardian reported. 

He further alleged that White House national security spokesperson John Kirby and other US officials stated that the Pentagon was open to discussing the Russia-Ukraine war but the Kremlin had rejected to do so. “This is a lie. We have not received any serious offers to make contact. We have repeatedly said that we never refuse meetings. If there is a proposal, then we will consider it,” Lavrov said. 

Lavrov reveals Russia's openness to discussions

The Russian foreign minister also accused the United States of being an active participant in the ongoing war. "It seems to me that the Americans have been participating de facto in this war for a long time. This war is being controlled by the Anglo-Saxons,” he added. 

When questioned about the possibility of Turkey hosting discussions between Russia and the West, Lavrov stated that Moscow will welcome suggestions but it is still too early to say if it could lead to actual results. He further confirmed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will receive the chance of making proposals to Putin when the duo travels to Kazakhstan on October 13, Thursday.

Image: AP