Lavrov set for first EU visit since Ukraine invasion
Sergey Lavrov is set to visit a European Union country in December. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the head of this department will participate in a meeting of foreign ministers from OSCE countries in Malta.
8:44 PM EDT, November 1, 2024
Many of the details provided by Russian media and government representatives are likely not true. Such reports may be part of the Russian Federation's information war.
The meeting in Malta is scheduled for December 5-6. The pro-Kremlin Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" reported that the Maltese embassy in Moscow stated that the decision regarding the meeting "concerns all OSCE members, including the Russian Federation."
The newspaper also reported that Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Lavrov plans to visit Malta.
Lavrov to visit an EU country. This is the first such visit
If Lavrov's visit takes place, it will be his first trip to a European Union member state since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lavrov was sanctioned by the USA, EU, and United Kingdom, followed shortly by Canada, Australia, and Japan. However, as the head of diplomacy, Lavrov is still allowed entry into the European Union.
