In brief

• Sergei Lavrov will lead Russia's delegation to a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on October 30–31.
• Lavrov is under US sanctions over the war in Ukraine, and it was not immediately clear whether Washington granted an exemption for the trip.
• Moscow says it will promote a multipolar world order, while Zakharova suggested some in Washington were unhappy about the visit and visa delays.

Moscow confirms the trip

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to the United States for a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on October 30–31 («Не всі у Вашингтоні раді»: у Росії поскаржилася через візит Лаврова до США – TSN) (Находящийся под санкциями Лавров поедет в США на встречу министров иностранных дел G20 — Bloomberg – NV) (Лавров зібрався на міністерське засідання G20 у США – Українська правда). Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the trip, saying Lavrov would head the Russian delegation at the gathering, which the United States is hosting as this year's G20 chair.

Sanctions complicate the visit

Lavrov is under American sanctions because of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (Сергей Лавров примет участие во встрече глав МИД «большой двадцатки» в США — хотя находится под американскими санкциями – Meduza). Bloomberg reported that the State Department had not immediately said whether it had granted an exemption for the trip. Lavrov has visited the United States several times since the war began, mainly for sessions of the UN General Assembly.

Russia's agenda

Zakharova said Moscow intends to push its ideas on strengthening the foundations of a multipolar world, based on the UN Charter and respect for national sovereignty. She said the discussions would cover geopolitical challenges, conflicts and confrontations that, in Moscow's view, damage the global economy, with the world economy as the central theme.

Visa dispute

Zakharova also suggested that not everyone in Washington welcomed the Russian delegation. She pointed to delays in the US embassy in Moscow issuing American visas to Russian diplomats travelling to the meeting, although she said most organisational questions had been resolved at the last minute.

Wider context

The US chairs the G20 this year, and the leaders' summit is scheduled for December in Miami. The Kremlin has not confirmed whether Vladimir Putin will attend, though it has said it appreciates the invitation. Trump and Putin could also meet earlier, at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended a G20 meeting in North Carolina in September, where he held talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.