During the OSCE ministerial meeting in Malta, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a contentious exchange over Ukraine. Lavrov accused the West of escalating the conflict, while Blinken contended that Russia bore responsibility for the ongoing tensions. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Lavrov as a 'war criminal' as multiple Western officials expressed strong opposition to Russian actions. Lavrov's remarks highlighted the increasing strain in relations between Russia and the West amid the continued conflict in Ukraine.