Russian foreign minister accuses U.S. of MILITARIZING southeast Asia, setting up a G20 showdown

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday accused the U.S. and its allies of ‘militarizing’ southeast Asia, setting the stage for a showdown when Western leaders arrive at the G20 summit in Bali.

Vladimir Putin is not attending and the Russian delegation will be headed by Lavrov. 

The United Kingdom and the European Union are already reportedly planning walkouts as they try to isolate Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and are calling on allies to follow suit. 

A day earlier, Lavrov used a press conference at the end of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (A.S.E.A.N.) summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to attack the U.S. for its action in the region, and what he said were efforts to sideline Russian and Chinese interests.

‘The United States and its NATO allies are trying to master this space,’ he told reporters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the ASEAN summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. On Sunday, he accused the U.S. of militarizing the region

The White House said President Joe Biden used his meetings at the A.S.E.A.N. summit to condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine

Biden used the A.S.E.A.N. summit in Phnom Penh to demand more information about the activities of the Chinese military at Ream naval base.  Cambodia has rubbished reports of a deal allowing China to use the base as ‘ill-intended’

He said Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy was an attempt to bypass ‘inclusive structures’ for cooperation and would involve ‘the militarisation of this region with an obvious focus on containing China, and containing Russian interests in the Asia-Pacific.’

Biden told southeast Asian leaders that Washington was committed to building an ‘Indo Pacific that’s free and open, stable and prosperous, and resilient and secure’ as he outlined a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the United States and the region.

The U.S. has at times conducted what it calls ‘freedom of navigation operations’ – sending warships into disputed waters.

And in a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen Biden demanded full transparency about Chinese military activities at a naval base, where they are believed to be building their own facility.

The G20 will be the first time Russian leaders have participated in a major summit since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February.

Lavrov wears a traditional silk garment to meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday ahead of a gala dinner in Phnom Penh at the ASEAN summit

It could trigger a string of diplomatic maneuvers as each side tries to gain the upper hand.

EU officials told Britain’s Daily Telegraph they would do ‘everything possible’ to isolate Russia 

‘We try to work with partners in order to show very, very, very firmly what the international community thinks about all these crimes, atrocities, and illegal actions by Russia,’ a spokesman said. 

‘That means also discouraging them from meeting Lavrov or from meeting anyone who is leading the Russian delegation or have people walk out when Russia stands to speak.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending the G20 summit in Bali

Neither the United States nor Russia is a member of ASEAN, a 10-member group of southeast Asian countries, but several world leaders attended the talks ahead of next week’s G20 summit in Bali.

Russia has sought to foster much closer economic, political and security ties with Asia since the West hit Moscow with unprecedented sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Putin portrays Russia and China as the leaders of a global rebellion against the post-Soviet global dominance of the United States and the West. 

In contrast, the United States casts China and Russia as the two main global threats.

In a readout of the president’s meetings at the ASEAN summit, the White House said Biden had spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

‘President Biden also raised concerns regarding the threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and he condemned Russia’s brutal and unjust war against Ukraine in the strongest terms,’ it said.