Emily Thornberry
Role at the time: Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, on BBC Radio 4's PM programme
Mixed or conditional
Statement summary
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 after the G20 photocall was scrapped, Thornberry says she understands why some countries would talk to Moscow but would not want to be photographed with the Russians, and that any meeting should be used to tell Russia to stop the war.
“The point is, if there's going to be foreign ministers meeting, there's no point in meeting them just to smile sweetly and pretend everything's OK because everything is not OK”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Miliband boycotted cancelled G20 photocall with Russian envoy over UkraineFull article (PA Media report published by The Irish News)
Why we used this label
The reference point is the United States' decision to bring Russia, represented by Lavrov, into the G20 foreign ministers' talks in Atlanta. Thornberry accepts that ministers may meet Russian officials but says she would not want to be photographed with them and that any meeting should be used to press Russia to stop the war, a conditional position.