Upon Sergei Lavrov’s arrival at the luxurious Mulia Hotel in the seaside resort of Nusa Dua, the Russian Foreign Minister was greeted politely but reservedly by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. In the background, however, there were shouts from bystanders calling on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Indonesia, which currently holds the G20 presidency, had previously offered to mediate between Moscow and Kiev. All eyes are now on how the opponents of the Russian war will deal with Lavrov. His presence is seen as a test for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s possible participation in the G20 summit in mid-November, also in Bali.