Russian foreign minister Lavrov visits Nicaragua’s Ortega

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, and the two commiserated about U.S. sanctions. The United States announced new sanctions Wednesday against three Nicaraguan judges who stripped 222 exiled opponents of their nationality. Ortega told Lavrov that his government already has “hundreds of officials” under sanctions and that “this doesn’t cause us any concern or fear anymore.” Lavrov responded that “sanctioned people in Russia take it as a recognition of their effectiveness” in defending Russian interests. The two did not appear to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov met Tuesday with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.