G20 foreign ministers drop group photo after Europe stages protest over Russia's presence
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European G20 members refused to pose with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, prompting the United States to scrap the group photo and underscoring Europe’s effort to politicize the summit.
Foreign ministers attending the G20 meeting in Atlanta on Friday did not take a traditional group photograph after European representatives protested the inclusion of Russia. A U.S. official said the State Department removed the family photo from the schedule to avoid it becoming a spectacle or a needless distraction. About one-third of the participants, including Australia and Canada, indicated they would not be photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to a Western diplomat.
"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. European officials had earlier suggested holding separate pictures—one with Lavrov and another without. The European G20 members, which support Ukraine, have expressed criticism of recent U.S. decisions regarding Russia, such as a diesel purchase deal and a partial sanctions waiver, while the summit was already being pulled into a dispute over symbolism instead of diplomacy.