Lavrov links sanctions relief to peace talks as G20 invitations stand
A look back at 30 April 2022, when Russia's foreign minister set a condition on sanctions and a G20 invitation to Moscow was in the news.
What did Moscow want from peace talks with Ukraine as April 2022 ended? On 30 April 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that sanctions must be lifted as part of the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The statement tied the sanctions imposed over the invasion directly to the negotiating process, making their removal part of what Russia expected from any settlement.
A G20 invitation the day before
The previous day, 29 April 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation to the upcoming G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also invited to the summit.
Taken together, the two developments showed Russia pressing its position on sanctions in the talks while its president kept a place on the diplomatic calendar for the Bali gathering.
