Russiaupdated 48m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 23 January 2025Marco Rubio Chairs G20 Talks in Atlanta as EU Accuses Sergey Lavrov of Lies
4 Western Mainstream1 Asian1 West AsianPhoto: U.S. Department of State / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
G20 foreign ministers meet in Atlanta amid deep rifts over Ukraine and Iran. European ministers object to photo with Lavrov; U.S. cancels the group photo.
Save coverage image
Lavrov at G20
Russia showed no sign of softening its stance on Kyiv as G20 foreign ministers opened talks in Atlanta, with the Ukraine and Iran wars deepening rifts between members.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of presenting “lies” on issues like the conflict in Ukraine, saying, “He put forward a lot of lies, a lot of false narratives.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio chaired the gathering in Atlanta, and Rubio said, “We are facing a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises.”
The meeting was set against the prospect of new U.S. military intervention in Iran, and the U.S. officials’ focus included resolving differences over freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Black Sea and the South China Sea.
Photo cancelled
European diplomats refused to pose alongside Sergey Lavrov, and the United States cancelled a planned group photo of foreign ministers to avoid further controversy. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said the cancellation was “the right decision,” adding, “I am not the only one who does not want to be photographed with Lavrov.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told media that “there is no normality with Russia” but “we must exchange the controversies at the table here,” according to dpa. Rubio opened the talks saying he hoped for “a productive meeting,” as the cancellation highlighted tensions within the G20 over negotiations tied to the war in Ukraine and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Diplomacy and pressure
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said complications over securing visas for Lavrov’s delegation created the impression that “not everyone in Washington is happy.”
Lavrov planned to use the meeting to advocate for the “swift reform of global economic institutions” and to promote Russia’s vision of a “multipolar world,” according to the same account.
U.S. officials said the G20 meeting would set the stage for a G20 leaders summit hosted by President Donald Trump at his Miami golf club in December, and Rubio framed the gathering as a way to advance practical cooperation on shared economic and security challenges.
The U.S. State Department said Rubio’s priority was for the group to seek solutions to “geopolitical crises contributing to global economic shocks,” while the meeting itself was described as unlikely to produce consensus on contentious issues including the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
