G20 Family Photo Cancelled After European Objections
U.S. hosts cancelled the planned G20 foreign ministers’ group photo in Atlanta after European diplomats refused to appear alongside Russian Foreign Minister…
U.S. hosts cancelled the g20 family photo at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta on Friday after European diplomats refused to appear alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The decision underscored the diplomatic divisions surrounding Russia’s presence as ministers gathered to discuss global crises.
The traditional photograph was scheduled for Friday morning and would usually include representatives from all countries attending. Ukraine was not invited to this meeting, despite having been invited to similar gatherings in recent years.
The cancellation came shortly before the two-day meeting began. A U.S. official said delegations had made clear they would not all take part in a joint image.
“Rather than allow a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction, the US decided to forgo the photo and keep the focus on the substantive discussions,” the official said.
Why was the G20 family photo cancelled?
European diplomats objected to standing in an official photograph with Lavrov. The United Kingdom was among the countries that declined to participate, a diplomatic source confirmed.
A British official said the country had no plans to change its position on direct engagement with Russian ministers. “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”.
The meeting is hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In opening remarks, Rubio urged G20 members to work together on interconnected economic and geopolitical crises, including strains on energy and food supply chains and freedom of navigation.
The disagreement over the photo reflects wider tensions over the war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, and Moscow has recently intensified missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine’s absence adds another strain to the talks. Relations between Kyiv and Washington have been tense this month following a diplomatic standoff between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump over Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure inside Russia.
At the same time, Washington and Moscow have shown signs of a partial thaw. Trump waived some sanctions and agreed to a deal to import Russian diesel, while saying the sanctions suspension was intended to keep Moscow at the negotiating table. Ukraine and its European allies have criticised the deal.
Zelensky called it “a gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin and “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”. Putin has said Russia is willing to supply the United States and global markets with oil and petroleum products.
The competing positions carry consequences beyond the meeting room. The U.S. is seeking cooperation with Moscow on fuel prices while European governments oppose gestures they believe could signal normal relations with Russia. Those differences complicate efforts to present a united approach to energy and the war.
Ministers are also expected to discuss economic growth, trade imbalances, supply chains, energy and critical minerals. A diplomatic source said the meeting would likely end with a chair summary drafted by the United States, rather than a final declaration.
Rubio said the group faced a critical “moment of choosing” amid connected economic and geopolitical crises. The gathering in Atlanta is taking place days before U.S. midterm elections, with a G20 leaders’ summit scheduled for December in Miami.
Russia currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
