Foreign ministers of the G20 largest economies began a two-day meeting in the US on Friday (local time), with the gathering notably skipping the customary group photograph.According to reports, US secretary of state Marco Rubio cancelled the traditional group photo after several European officials threatened to boycott or walk out over Russia’s participation. Moscow is being represented by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at the summit in Atlanta.Two US officials told The Associated Press that European officials “balked” at the prospect of being photographed with Lavrov, prompting Rubio to cancel the picture to avoid what could possibly become a “distraction.”Several G20 countries had already raised concerns over the US inviting Russia despite Moscow’s war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.In a statement, the British Foreign Office reiterated the UK’s longstanding policy of avoiding direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers over the war in Ukraine, adding that it had “no plans” to change its stance.Polish deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski, who is also the country’s foreign minister, called the cancellation of the group photograph “the right decision.” Speaking to the media, he remarked: “I am not the only one who does not want to be photographed with Lavrov.”German top diplomat Johann Wadephul stressed that “there is no normality with Russia”, but added that differences must be asserted at the negotiating table. He also cautioned against sending “falsely optimistic signals.”Lavrov has made only occasional visits to Nato member states since the Russia-Ukraine war began and Western sanctions were subsequently imposed on Moscow.
‘We are in a critical moment’: Rubio
Rubio opened the talks, which otherwise proceeded as planned, with an appeal for unity on issues threatening international security and global trade.“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,” Rubio told his counterparts.“We are facing a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises,” he added, citing disruptions to global energy and food supplies, trade and freedom of navigation. He warned that many of these developments posed “severe threats to essential foundations of the global economic order.”However, there were not many signs of consensus among G20 diplomats on several contentious issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US-Israeli war against Iran, US tariffs and China’s actions in the South China Sea. These tensions have contributed to rising global fuel costs and growing uncertainty over trade.The Atlanta meeting is intended to lay the groundwork for the G20 leaders’ summit, which US President Donald Trump is scheduled to host at his Miami golf club in December. It remains unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept Trump’s invitation to attend.