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The United States cancelled a planned group photo of foreign ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies (G20) on Friday after several European diplomats objected to being photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to walk out.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to cancel the photo to avoid further controversy, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Opening the talks, Rubio looked ahead, saying he hoped for “a productive meeting.”
“We are in a critical moment — I would call it a moment of choosing, and I would say not just for my country, the United States of America, but frankly, for the world,” he said.
“We are facing a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises,” he added, many posing “severe threats to essential foundations of the global economic order.”
European diplomats voice concerns over Russia’s presence at G20
The cancellation of the traditional group photo highlighted tensions within the G20, as diplomats face difficult negotiations over the war in Ukraine, the US-Israeli war against Iran, US tariffs and disputes in the South China Sea.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said the cancellation of the group photo was “the right decision” by the US, telling media in Atlanta that “I am not the only one who does not want to be photographed with Lavrov.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said “there is no normality with Russia” but “we must exchange the controversies at the table here,” the German news agency dpa reported. He added that “we also must not send falsely optimistic signals.”
Even before the dispute over the photo, several G20 countries had raised concerns about Russia’s invitation amid intensified attacks on Ukraine.
Tensions have also grown after Trump waived new sanctions on Moscow and temporarily restricted logistical and intelligence support for Kyiv, further straining US-Ukraine relations.
Additional sources • AP