Lavrov Attends OSCE Meeting in Malta

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Malta, marking his first visit to an EU country since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. His flight was notably lengthy, taking over seven hours due to an EU airspace ban on Russian aircraft, necessitating a roundabout route through Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was also present at the meeting but left before Lavrov's speech, labeling him a 'war criminal.' Despite being under EU sanctions, Lavrov's attendance was permitted as exceptions are made for international meetings. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who attended the summit, did not plan to meet Lavrov. The OSCE, with 57 member states including Ukraine and Russia, aims to address security and cooperation issues, but has faced criticism from Moscow for perceived bias against it.