Russia's Lavrov claims 'Ukraine is dragging out war' by delaying negotiations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday (November 15) that Western countries had tried to "politicise" a joint declaration at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali.

The draft declaration by leaders of the G20, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, said "most" members strongly condemned the conflict in Ukraine and stressed that it was exacerbating fragilities in the global economy.

Lavrov said on Tuesday that he had talks with the leaders of France and Germany, Emmanual Macron and Olaf Scholz, on the conflict in Ukraine, and accused Kyiv of dragging out any possible resolution.

Speaking to reporters in Bali at the G20 summit, Lavrov said Ukraine was refusing to talk to Moscow and had put forward unrealistic conditions for peace.

Lavrov also said that he had concluded from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's recorded video address to the G20, in which he outlined his proposals for a peace deal, that the Ukrainian leader had not listened to Western advice.