G20 foreign ministers skip photo-op amid objections over Russia
The G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, US, Oct 30, 2026.
PHOTO: Reuters
ATLANTA - Foreign ministers from the G20 skipped a traditional group photo ahead of their meeting in Atlanta on Friday (Oct 30) after European representatives objected to the presence of Russia.
A US official said the State Department had taken the family photo off the official agenda because Washington did not want it to become a spectacle or distraction.
A third of the participants, including Australia and Canada, made clear they opposed the idea of being photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a Western diplomat said.
"In no case will there be a family photo with European partners and Mr. Lavrov together because ... there is no normalcy with Russia," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters before the first session on Friday.
European officials had earlier suggested there might be two separate pictures - one with Lavrov and one without.
European G20 members back Ukraine, which has objected to US President Donald Trump's recent decisions on Russia, including a deal to buy diesel and waive some sanctions.
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