Atlanta: The US scrapped plans for a photo of top diplomats of the Group of 20 largest world economies on the opening day of talks Friday as several Europeans objected to being photographed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to walk out of the photo session.
The cancellation of the photograph, a traditional opening event at such a diplomatic gathering, underscored the deep rifts in the G20 over global crises that threaten international security and trade.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to cancel the photo after determining that the controversy would be a distraction, according to two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. The meeting in Atlanta, which will otherwise go ahead as planned, is meant to set the stage for a G20 leaders’ summit hosted by President Donald Trump at his Miami golf club in December.
The cancellation has added to concerns about the poor prospects for the G20 diplomats to reach consensus on many of the most contentious issues they face. Among them are the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US-Israeli war against Iran, US tariffs and Chinese machinations in the South China Sea. All have contributed to spikes in the global cost of fuel as well as uncertainty about trade.
Before the photo disagreement, some G20 countries had already expressed concern that the US invited Russia during its heightened attacks on Ukraine. That is especially after Trump pushed ties with Ukraine to new lows by waiving fresh sanctions on Moscow and temporarily limiting logistical and intelligence assistance.
Russia’s foreign ministry complained of issues securing visas for its delegation that were only resolved at the last minute. Those complications had created the impression that “not everyone in Washington is happy” about Lavrov attending, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. But he would use the meeting to advocate for the “swift reform of global economic institutions,” she said.
Lavrov has travelled very infrequently to NATO member states since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and resulting severe sanctions were imposed on Moscow. His presence in Atlanta is likely to cause domestic political problems for Trump just days before the midterm elections and roil at least the G20’s Western participants, according to Ian Kelly, a US ambassador to Georgia during Trump’s first term.
