G20 Group Photo Cancelled
European diplomats objected to standing next to Russia's foreign minister, prompting the U.S. to scrap the official photo at the Atlanta meeting.
By Yara Nasser ·
The official group photo for the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta is no longer happening. U.S. officials confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled the picture on Thursday after several European envoys threatened to walk away if they had to stand beside Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s top diplomat. The decision came just days before the November 3 midterm elections.
Lavrov is attending the two-day meeting scheduled for Friday and Saturday. He will join representatives from the world's twenty largest economies to discuss wars, trade, and security. The United States is hosting the event, which serves as a precursor to a December leaders' summit at President Donald Trump's golf club in Miami. Rubio chairs the gathering, aiming to build a framework for future negotiations.
The cancellation was driven by diplomatic friction. European diplomats expressed strong objections to being photographed alongside Lavrov. Two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Rubio decided the controversy would distract from the agenda. The officials noted that the dispute over the photo threatened to overshadow discussions on critical global issues.
Russia’s presence in Atlanta has unsettled Western allies. Some G20 members raised concerns about inviting Moscow during its intensified attacks on Ukraine. China is represented by a deputy foreign minister, while most other nations sent their top diplomats. Russia’s foreign ministry stated that visa issues for its delegation were resolved at the last minute. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the delays created an impression that not everyone in Washington was pleased with Lavrov's attendance.
Zakharova indicated that Lavrov plans to push for the swift reform of global economic institutions. She also said he will advocate for Russia’s vision of a multipolar world. This stance contrasts with the U.S. priority for the meeting, which is to resolve differences over freedom of navigation. The U.S. wants to address challenges in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and the South China Sea.
Ukraine is not invited to this year's meeting. U.S. officials said they made a conscious choice to limit attendance to formal G20 members. South Africa, a founding member and the only African country in the group, is also absent. Phindile Kunene, a spokesperson for South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, told the Associated Press that the absence was not voluntary. She said South Africa is ready to participate on an equal footing when the United Kingdom takes over the presidency next year.
Experts question whether the group will reach a consensus. Ian Kelly, a former U.S. ambassador to Georgia, called the decision to invite Lavrov politically risky. He noted that Republican lawmakers are wary of Trump’s approach to Putin, while Democrats may use the invitation to criticize the GOP. Kelly said Lavrov’s attendance will likely hurt efforts to send a unified message from Western members regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
Elaine Dezenski of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies described the meeting as a test rather than a traditional summit. She stated that the event takes place amid widening disagreement over the global economic order. The key question is whether the U.S. can build cooperation with partners when full consensus appears out of reach. The State Department said Rubio views the event as a chance to advance practical cooperation on shared economic and security challenges.
