The Russian Foreign Minister is on a bit of a whirlwind tour.
From the Straits Times, March 31;
The US and Australia criticised India for considering a Russian proposal that would undermine sanctions imposed by America and its allies, showing a deepening rift between the emerging security partners as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Delhi for talks.
"Now is the time to stand on the right side of history, and to stand with the United States and dozens of other countries, standing up for freedom, democracy and sovereignty with the Ukrainian people, and not funding and fuelling and aiding President Putin's war," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters in Washington on Wednesday (March 30).
She called reports of the arrangement "deeply disappointing," while adding that she hadn't seen details....
....MUCH MORE
And earlier from Al Arabiya:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day trip, the Indian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as the two countries look for ways to maintain trade and other relations despite the Ukraine crisis.
It will only be Lavrov’s third visit overseas since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, after a trip to Turkey for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart earlier this month and meetings in China starting on Wednesday.
While both India and China have called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, they have refused to explicitly condemn Russia’s invasion. They have also continued to buy commodities from Russia hard hit by sweeping Western sanctions....
....MUCH MORE
The Russians have been learning sanctions-busting tricks from the Iranians (lesson #1 turn off the transponders on ships and planes), meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian while in Beijing yesterday.
Lavrov's next challenge is to keep the Saudis and the rest of the GCC from turning their fury at the Iran nuke deal into action.
A tough sale, but that's what he gets the big money for.
Everyone involved should be happy they don't have to deal with Gromyko.
