Russia foreign minister visits Mongolia in drive for support

BEIJING (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting Mongolia during a trip to Asia seeking support amid his country’s diplomatic isolation by the West and punishing sanctions leveled over its invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov held talks with Mongolia’s foreign minister and paid a courtesy call on its president. Mongolia is a landlocked nation sandwiched between Russia and China, and has sought to maintain friendly relations with both neighbors while also cultivating close ties with the U.S. Mongolian and Russian state media emphasized strong bilateral relations during Lavrov’s visit while making little mention of Ukraine.