In the US, on 30 October 2026, the traditional group photograph of G20 foreign ministers was cancelled due to the refusal of European diplomats to pose alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Representatives from several countries threatened to walk out of the photo session if the Russian minister took part. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to cancel the photo session altogether to avoid a diplomatic row. This was reported by the Associated Press, Reuters and CNN, citing US and Western officials.
- At the G20 summit in Atlanta, European ministers refused to be photographed with Sergey Lavrov.
- Around a third of the participants, including representatives from Australia and Canada, opposed the group photo.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled the traditional group photo session.
- Ministers from Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom have publicly explained their position on Russia.
- Despite the diplomatic protest, the G20 talks continued with the Russian delegation in attendance.
Why did the G20 ministers refuse to be photographed with Lavrov?
A meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 countries is taking place on 30–31 October in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Even before the start of the talks, several European delegations had indicated that they did not wish to take part in the traditional group photograph with the Russian minister Sergey Lavrov.
According to Reuters, there is opposition to the presence of Lavrova Around a third of those attending the meeting appeared in the group photograph. Among them were not only European countries, but also Australia and Canada.
CNN, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the organisers had initially considered taking two photographs — one with the Russian minister and one without him.
However Marco Rubio He abandoned the idea and cancelled the photo shoot altogether. According to US officials, he did not want the controversy surrounding the photo shoot to distract attention from the main negotiations.
However, no decision was taken to exclude the Russian delegation from the meeting. Lavrov remained a participant in the meetings G20.
What Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom said
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Johannes Wadefuhl publicly confirmed that European diplomats had refused to be photographed with a Russian representative.
«There will be no group photo of the European partners with Mr Lavrov», he said.
The German minister explained this position by stating that relations with Russia cannot be considered normal whilst the war against Ukraine is ongoing. At the same time, he acknowledged the need to discuss contentious issues at the negotiating table.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslav Sikorsky He also backed the decision of the American organisers.
«I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to be photographed with Lavrov», the Polish minister told journalists in Atlanta.
The British Foreign Secretary also declined to be in the group photo Ed Miliband. The British side emphasised that it had no intention of changing its policy on official contacts with Russian ministers following the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Thus, the protest by European diplomats was primarily directed at a symbolic gesture that might have given the impression that relations with Moscow were normalising.
How the dispute affected the G20 negotiations
Despite the cancellation of the traditional photo opportunity, the meeting of foreign ministers went ahead as planned.
Marco Rubio called on participants to focus on international security, economic stability, trade and threats to global supply chains.
At the same time, Russia’s war against Ukraine has become one of the main sources of disagreement between the delegations.
According to the Associated Press, the negotiators reported that there had been no progress in Moscow’s position on Ukraine. Due to significant differences, it remains uncertain whether a joint communiqué will be adopted following the meeting.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, has stated her intention to seek greater international support for Ukraine and to hold Russia to account for its actions.
The absence of the Ukrainian delegation attracted particular attention. According to Reuters, Ukraine was not invited to the G20 ministerial meeting in Atlanta. The US side explained this decision as an intention to restrict participation to official members of the group.
What's next
The G20 ministerial meeting will run until 31 October. It precedes the December summit of G20 leaders, which the United States plans to host in Florida.
As of 30 October, the group photo has been definitively cancelled, but diplomatic talks are continuing. It remains to be seen whether the participants will be able to agree on a joint statement regarding international security and the war in Ukraine. The protest by European ministers did not alter the format of Russia’s participation in the G20, but it did highlight the lack of consensus regarding its diplomatic representation at international meetings.
