US cancels G20 ministers’ photograph after objections to Russia’s Lavrov

US organisers cancelled the traditional group photograph at Friday’s G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta after objections to appearing alongside Russia’s Sergei Lavrov. The talks went ahead, with Lavrov taking part: the protest stopped a photograph, not the meeting.

A US official told the BBC that some delegations were unwilling to join the picture and that the hosts dropped it to keep the focus on discussions. The Associated Press, citing two unnamed US officials, reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the decision. He opened the meeting with a call for co-operation on economic and security challenges.

A diplomatic source told the BBC that Britain was among the countries unwilling to pose. The British Foreign Office separately cited its policy of avoiding direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called cancelling the picture “the right decision”. Reuters cited a Western diplomat who said about a third of participants, including Australia and Canada, opposed being photographed with Lavrov.

The disagreement comes amid US moves to allow some Russian diesel trade and waive some sanctions, both criticised by Ukraine. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in Atlanta that relations with Russia were not normal, but that disagreements still had to be discussed at the G20 table. A day earlier, he had said he would not avoid a possible group photograph with Lavrov.