The UK is poised to set out its response to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, with Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron telling Vladimir Putin: “We match our words with actions”.
Lord Cameron will also condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and stress the need for nations to adhere to the rules-based international order when he speaks at a meeting of foreign ministers from the G20 nations in Rio on Wednesday.
The former prime minister will also use his appearance at the summit to reiterate his call for an immediate pause in fighting in Gaza to get more aid to the beleaguered population who have suffered under Israel’s military onslaught and to allow the release of the hostages seized by Hamas.
The Foreign Secretary and counterparts from other major countries will highlight what they view as an assault on international norms, ranging from Russia to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The US has promised its own “major sanctions package” on Friday in response to Mr Navalny’s death.
Lord Cameron is expected to set out the consequences Russia will face from the UK on Wednesday as he also takes aim at what he sees as a litany of hypocrisy from the Kremlin over Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary said: “We need to adapt international rules and institutions to the challenges we face today. This means reforming the rules-based international order, not shattering it.
“The Kremlin pays lip service to concepts like sovereignty, while openly undermining them. Unlike Russia, we match our words with actions.”
This week marks two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the death of Mr Navalny – which Foreign Office minister Leo Docherty has described as “murder” – has added to international outrage about Mr Putin’s regime.
The Kremlin has dismissed suggestions it is to blame for the death of Mr Navalny in an Arctic penal colony.
Mr Navalny’s death deprived the Russian opposition of an influential figure less than a month before an election that is all but certain to give Mr Putin another six years in power.
Lord Cameron’s Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov is expected to be among the foreign ministers at the G20 gathering.
As well as the crises in Russia and the Middle East, Lord Cameron will also use his time at the G20 to push for greater international trade.
He said: “In conflicts around the world, we seek the fastest route to lasting peace consistent with the UN Charter. And we are pushing for fairer and more effective systems for development, trade and multilateral governance.”
The summit in Rio comes after Lord Cameron visited the Falkland Islands and Paraguay on Monday and Tuesday.
He will also head to New York for a United Nations session on Ukraine on Friday.