Liz Truss is meeting Russian foreign minister right now. She promises ‘toughest sanctions’ if Russia invades Ukraine but the sanctions package still isn’t ready. I doorstepped her this AM as she visited a Russian university. Unclear exactly what this visit will achieve @itvnews
Lavrov has just said, right in front of her, talking to @trussliz is ‘like talking to a deaf person.’ Says ‘we explained russian troops on the border are in our own territory’ unlike thousands of UK servicemen in the Baltics. They are not looking at each other and tone is icy.
‘We’ve been choosing diplomacy all these years & we’re going to choose diplomacy again,’ Lavrov tells @trussliz. She might disagree with 100K troops on Ukraine’s border, poisoning of the Skripals with Novichok and murder of Alexander Litvinenko to name a few non-diplo events.
‘We don’t want to threaten anyone, look at our public statements. We’ve never threatened anyone...we are in the spirit of compromise’ says Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister. Interesting statement given Putin said he is prepared to take ‘military-technical’ steps to protect Russia.
.@trussliz says ‘The Ukrainians will fight. This will be a protracted, prolonged conflict. We want to avoid war in Ukraine and that’s why I’m here, to work with nato government and nato allies.’ Lavrov then appears to give a big sigh!
Press conference between U.K. & Russia foreign ministers is like watching a tennis match where players are trying to knock each out with the ball. Lavrov tells Liz Truss Russian troops doing something in Russian territory - ‘this is not her business.’
This presser has not gone well. Sergey Lavrov has just briskly walked off, leaving @trussliz on her own at the podium. He said talking to her was ‘like talking to a deaf person’ & said what Russia does in its own territory is ‘not her business.’ She’s now got lunch with him…
The conversation between @trussliz @FCDOGovUK & Russian FM Lavrov @MID_RF is as icy as the Moscow weather. They disagreed, threw insults & accused each other of not listening. If anything, this visit may have soured U.K.-Russia relations further. That’s an achievement in itself…
UK Foreign Sec @trussliz has left the building. Judging by presser between her & Lavrov, she won’t be invited back any time soon. Quote of day from @MID_RF Lavrov: speaking to Truss is like having a ‘conversation between a mute or deaf person who is listening but not hearing.’
During the press conference @trussliz warned Russia of very serious consequences should it invade Ukraine saying ‘UK & allies would put in place severe sanctions targeting individuals and institutions.’ She said the US is also clear Nord Stream 2 would not go ahead.
Truss’s visit, like Macron’s, seems to have aim of keeping diplomacy alive. She said ‘Why I’m here in Moscow is that Russia has v clear choice. They can pursue path of diplomacy…or continue down path they’ve been indicating by amassing troops on the border in a threatening way.’
Spoke to Russian diplomatic source tonight in Moscow. Was told Lavrov said "‘Do you recognise Rostov & Voronezh is sovereign Russian territory?’" @trussliz said "‘we will never recognise Russian sovereignty there’ Then U.K. ambassador had to tell her that this is part of Russia"
Diplomatic source in Moscow told me @itvnews meeting between British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss & FM Sergey Lavrov 'was embarrassing. I can’t understand how that can happen to British diplomacy. It’s like making a speech for elections, even her voice was as if she was outside'
British Embassy in Moscow tonight says Liz Truss thought Lavrov was talking about part of Ukraine. 'I clearly indicated that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia.'
Russian diplomatic source said @trussliz started meeting with 'British slogans about Ukraine & troops near there.' I understand bilateral relations were discussed at lunch & Russia told it needs to deescalate & engage in meaningful talks before they can significantly improve.
In Moscow with @rachyoungeritv on a day of diplomatic drama. itv.com/news/2022-02-1…
Speaking after meeting Russian defence minister @BWallaceMP says ‘I heard clearly from the Russian government they have no intention of invading Ukraine and …we urged dialogue as a way through to discuss concerns Russia may have.’
Asked by @itvnews @rachyoungeritv about Russia Lavrov saying his conversation with @trussliz was like one between ‘a deaf person & a mute’ @BWallaceMP said ‘Minister Lavrov is a master of these type of engagements. In our discussion there was absolutely no deafness or blindness’
U.K. defence secretary said he had ‘constructive & frank discussions’ with Russia defence minister ‘which I hope contributed to a better atmosphere & also to de-escalation.’ Referring to yesterday’s icy meeting between @trussliz & Russia FM: ‘I will leave Mr Lavrov to Mr Lavrov’
.@BWallaceMP not doing joint presser so no opp to publicly see interaction with Russian minister. Tone is respectful: Shoigu ‘is professional & v experienced minister. When they say they aren’t going to invade Ukraine we take it seriously but look at actions which accompany it’
Hours after UK Defence Sec Ben Wallace briefed press that UK was not telling citizens to leave Ukraine, reports from US @nickschifrin suggest invasion imminent. Putin spox Peskov says Putin speaks to Macron tmo lunchtime & Biden tmo eve Moscow time.
Russian Foreign Ministry in response to US announcement warning invasion of Ukraine could happen any day says 'coordinated information attack is being carried out against Moscow, aimed at undermining & discrediting Russia's just demands for security guarantees.' @interfax_news
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