During a speech by Russia’s Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, the delegations of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic also left the meeting hall.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken remained in the hall.
Lavrov’s trip to Malta is his first to an EU country since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.
Following the invasion, Lavrov was subjected to sanctions by the EU, the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and Japan. However, as foreign minister, he retains the ability to enter the European Union.
Earlier, Sikorski told TVP World at the OSCE summit: “Mr Lavrov is coming here to lie about the Russian invasion and what Russia is doing in Ukraine and I’m not going to listen to those lies.
He added: “Today Russia is honoring neither the sanctity of borders in Europe nor human rights. It was given a chance to become more European, to mend and civilize its ways, but unfortunately its tyrannical political culture got the upper hand.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which triggered Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, has seen entire cities reduced to rubble, thousands killed and millions displaced in a tragedy that is still unfolding.
