G20 foreign ministers skip 'family' photo amid objections over Russia
Foreign ministers skip a traditional group photo ahead of their meeting, after European and Australian representatives object to the presence of Russia.
The G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta saw the traditional "family photo" cancel at the last minute due to the refusal of several countries to appear with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. US secretary of state Marco Rubio made the decision after European officials, including the UK and Australia, announced their intention to boycott or walk out of the photograph.
The boycott was a protest against Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, a stance shared by many EU nations. European Union foreign minister Johann Wadephul had previously warned that there would be no photo with Lavrov and European partners due to Russia's actions. UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband echoed this sentiment, stating that the UK would not engage in such a photo with Russia.
Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, condemned Russia's invasion during the meeting's opening session and supported the US decision to cancel the photo, emphasizing that Australia will not normalize Russia's actions. Diplomats attending the session described it as cordial, but noted that Russia's stance on Ukraine and its opposition to Poland's G20 membership prevented a joint communique from being released.
The schism in Atlanta highlights the divisions caused by the Trump administration's attempts to normalize Russia, despite Putin's ongoing war in Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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