Atlanta G20 Talks Scrap Group Photo as Europeans Balk at Standing Beside Lavrov

In brief

• Organisers cancelled the group photo at the Atlanta G20 foreign ministers' meeting after European diplomats refused to appear with Sergei Lavrov.
• Germany's foreign minister said Berlin does not have normal relations with Moscow and that no family photo would be taken.
• A similar refusal happened at a G20 finance ministers' meeting in September, when a photo was taken without Russia's finance minister.
• Putin has been invited to the G20 leaders' summit in Miami in mid-December, but the Kremlin has not confirmed he will attend.

Photo scrapped in Atlanta

The traditional 'family photo' of G20 foreign ministers was called off at the meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, where it had been scheduled for Friday morning (G20 'family photo' cancelled after protests over presence of Russian minister – BBC News). Two officials confirmed the cancellation to the BBC. An anonymous official quoted by Bloomberg said the organisers wanted to avoid a diplomatic scandal and keep the summit focused on its planned agenda (На саммите глав МИД «большой двадцатки» отменили традиционное фотографирование — из-за присутствия Сергея Лаврова – Meduza). The Associated Press, citing two US officials, reported that several Europeans had threatened to leave the photo session (На зустрічі G20 не буде спільного фото міністрів, у Німеччині кажуть, що через Лаврова – Європейська правда).

Berlin's position

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said before the meeting began that he did not expect any family photo to be taken at all. He said European partners would not stand in a picture with Lavrov, pointing to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Wadephul also said Germany does not have normal relations with Russia. He stressed that difficult issues must still be discussed at the table and that wrong visual signals should be avoided. Bloomberg described the refusal as a sign of divisions between the United States and its allies over President Donald Trump's effort to restore ties with Moscow (Організатори G20 відмовилися від спільного фото лідерів МЗС через Лаврова, - Bloomberg – UNIAN).

Earlier case in September

A similar episode took place in early September at a G20 finance ministers' meeting, where several participants declined to pose with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. The photo was taken without him.

Lavrov's trip and what comes next

Lavrov reached the United States after a flight of more than 20 hours, because several countries that consider Russia unfriendly restrict its aircraft from their airspace (Дипломатичний ляпас Лаврову на саміті в Атланті: що влаштували європейські міністри – TSN). He is under international sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine. The foreign ministers' meeting runs from October 30 to 31.

The G20 leaders' summit is scheduled for mid-December in Miami. Putin has been invited, but the Kremlin has not confirmed that he will attend. Ukraine was not invited to this meeting, although it has taken part in similar G20 gatherings in recent years.

Read also

• Lavrov to Attend G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta Despite US Sanctions