Russiaupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapG20 Foreign Ministers Skip Atlanta Family Photo After Europeans Object To Sergei Lavrov
“Washington did not want it to become a spectacle or distraction.”
“Those rifts prompted the United States to scrap plans for a group photo”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
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G20 foreign ministers convened in Atlanta to discuss Ukraine, Iran, trade, security. European diplomats refused to pose with Sergei Lavrov, prompting photo cancellation.
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Photo cancelled in Atlanta
Foreign ministers from the G20 skipped a traditional group photo ahead of their meeting in Atlanta after European representatives objected to the presence of Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
A US official said the State Department removed the family photo from the official agenda because Washington did not want it to become a spectacle or distraction, and the meeting was hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters, "In no case will there be a family photo with European partners and Mr. Lavrov together because ... there is no normalcy with Russia," as the first session began on Friday.
European diplomats refused to stand for an official photo with Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the US, and the so-called family photo was described as scheduled for Friday morning.
Ukraine was not invited, and the UK cited a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine.
Europe, Ukraine, and U.S.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was present, and a UK official stated, "The UK has a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and we are not about to change that". European officials had earlier suggested there might be two separate pictures, one with Lavrov and one without, as a third of participants including Australia and Canada opposed being photographed alongside Lavrov. The United States scrapped plans for a group photo after several European diplomats objected to being photographed with Lavrov and threatened to walk out of it.
A diplomatic standoff between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over Kyiv's strikes on oil infrastructure within Russia shaped the dispute, and Zelensky called Trump's approach "a gift" to Putin. The United States invited Russia to Atlanta with Lavrov while Ukraine was not invited, and the meeting would set the stage for a G20 leaders' summit hosted by President Donald Trump at his Miami golf club in December.
What the meeting sets
European G20 members back Ukraine, and their objections were tied to US President Donald Trump's recent decisions on Russia, including a deal to buy diesel and waive some sanctions. The gathering faces deep rifts over multiple wars and other global crises that threaten international security and trade, and it listed the Russia-Ukraine conflict and U.S. tariffs among the contentious issues. A US official removed the photo to avoid it becoming a spectacle or distraction, and the decision left little chance for consensus on the issues facing the group.
Relations between the US and Russia appear to have partially thawed in recent weeks, and Trump waived some sanctions and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the American market. Russia's foreign ministry complained of issues securing visas for its delegation that were resolved at the last minute, and Maria Zakharova said the complications created the impression that "not everyone in Washington is happy" about Lavrov attending.