US cancels G20 group photo

The Group of 20 meets in Atlanta on Friday to prepare for a December summit hosted by President Donald Trump.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio scrapped a planned group photograph on the opening day of the talks. The cancellation followed objections from several European diplomats who did not want to be pictured alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Some participants threatened to walk out of the session if the photo proceeded.

Two US officials said Rubio decided to drop the photo to avoid a distraction. The meeting itself is proceeding as scheduled. It aims to set the stage for a leaders' summit at Trump's Miami golf club in December.

The dispute highlights deep divisions among G20 members. The group faces contentious issues including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US-Israeli war against Iran, US tariffs, and Chinese actions in the South China Sea. These conflicts have driven up global fuel costs and created trade uncertainty.

Rubio opened the talks by calling for a productive meeting. He described the moment as a choice for the world, noting that interconnected economic and geopolitical crises pose severe threats to the global economic order.

Western allies had already expressed concern over Russia's invitation. This followed Trump's decision to waive new sanctions on Moscow and limit aid to Ukraine. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called the photo cancellation the right decision. He stated in Atlanta that he was not the only one who did not want to be photographed with Lavrov.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said there is no normality with Russia. He emphasized that the group must exchange controversies at the table without sending falsely optimistic signals.

Russia's foreign ministry said visa issues for its delegation were resolved at the last minute. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said these complications created an impression that not everyone in Washington was happy about Lavrov's attendance. She added that he would use the meeting to advocate for the swift reform of global economic institutions.

Ian Kelly, a former US ambassador to Georgia, said inviting Lavrov seems politically boneheaded. He noted that many Republican lawmakers are unhappy with Trump's conciliatory approach to President Vladimir Putin. Kelly warned that Lavrov's presence will hurt efforts to produce a unified approach on the Russia-Ukraine war.

South Africa, a founding G20 member, was not invited to the meeting. South African spokesperson Phindile Kunene said the country's nonparticipation is not voluntary. Kunene said South Africa is ready to participate on an equal footing when Britain takes over the presidency next year.

A top priority for the meeting is resolving differences over freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and the South China Sea. US officials have told Middle East allies to be prepared for potential renewed military strikes against Iran after Tuesday's midterm elections.

Elaine Dezenski of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies described the Atlanta meeting as a test. She said the key question is whether the US can build cooperation with partners when full member consensus appears out of reach.