Russia, West Continue Diplomatic Cross Fire

Despite some reassuring comments from President Vladimir Putin suggesting that the Russian delegation was greeted warmly at the G20 summit Australia, the Cold War rhetoric continued also on Tuesday. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed Western countries for their “eastward expansion.” 

“The situation on the international stage has recently worsened as a direct result of serious systemic problems that have accumulated since the end of the Cold War. These problems are primarily connected with the Western countries’ unwillingness to create a space where security is equal and indivisible, and also with their policy of eastward expansion of Western controlled geopolitical space. This negative process resulted in the Ukrainian crisis. Following an unconstitutional military coup and the illegal seizure of power, Ukraine has been pushed to the edge of a split and is being torn apart by a fratricidal war” Lavrov said on Tuesday.

A few hours later, Putin added that US wants to bring Russia into subjection, “which nobody has ever been able to do in Russia’s history.” 

On the other side, Ukraine came up with its daily J’Accuse during a joint media conference with Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg.

"The Kremlin bears responsibility for the humanitarian disaster approaching the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions" Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said, calling Russia to abide by the Minsk Protocol. 

Later this week, Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė will meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.