Lavrov told 'lies' at G20, EU's Kallas says

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of presenting "lies" about Ukraine during G20 foreign ministers' talks in Atlanta on Friday and said Moscow did not appear ready for peace negotiations.

Kallas told AFP on the sidelines of the meeting that European officials addressed Lavrov directly over Ukraine. She said he put forward "false narratives" that were rebutted.

Lavrov's appearance at the two-day gathering heightened tensions with European representatives and came ahead of expected negotiations between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington in November.

Kallas said Russia's actions showed it was not ready to move forward in peace talks. She said July, August and September had been the deadliest months for civilians in Ukraine.

She called for continued pressure on Moscow, including efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Black Sea.

A traditional family photo of G20 ministers was cancelled earlier Friday. A diplomatic source told AFP that some European officials had declined to appear beside Lavrov.

A US official said the picture was cancelled to avoid allowing "a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction."

Kallas said European officials had agreed not to normalise Russia's presence on international platforms after Russia started the war against Ukraine.