The United States scrapped plans for a traditional group photo of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta on Friday, October 30, 2026, after several European diplomats objected to being photographed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to walk out, underscoring deep divisions among the world’s largest economies.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled the photo after deciding the controversy would be a distraction, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. The Atlanta meeting is otherwise going ahead as planned and 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 added to concerns about the group’s poor prospects for consensus on contentious issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, U.S. tariffs and Chinese activity in the South China Sea. Those disputes have contributed to spikes in global fuel costs and uncertainty over trade.
Some G20 countries had already objected to the U.S. inviting Russia while Moscow was intensifying attacks on Ukraine, especially after President Trump waived fresh sanctions on Moscow and temporarily limited logistical and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. Russia’s Foreign Ministry complained about last-minute visa problems for its delegation, saying the complications suggested “not everyone in Washington is happy” about Mr. Lavrov attending. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said he would use the meeting to advocate for “swift reform of global economic institutions.”
Mr. Lavrov has rarely traveled to NATO member states since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and faced severe sanctions. Ian Kelly, a former U.S. ambassador to Georgia, said Lavrov’s presence in Atlanta could create domestic political problems for Trump days before the midterm elections and unsettle Western G20 members. “It seems politically boneheaded to invite him,” said Kelly, who now teaches at Northwestern University. He said Lavrov’s attendance would almost certainly undermine efforts to produce a unified approach on the Russia-Ukraine war. It is unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept Trump’s invitation to the December summit in Florida.
South Africa, a G20 founding member and the only African country in the group, was not invited. South Africa said its absence was not voluntary, with spokesperson Phindile Kunene saying it had consistently maintained that its nonparticipation was not voluntary. Kunene welcomed support from other G20 members that expressed reservations about the exclusion and said South Africa was ready to participate “on an equal footing with other members” when Britain takes over the presidency next year. Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, was also not invited this year.
The meeting is overshadowed by the prospect of new U.S. military intervention in Iran, which has put the region, including G20 member Saudi Arabia, on edge. The Associated Press has reported that U.S. officials told several West Asian countries and regional allies to prepare for potential renewed military strikes against Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections and possible Iranian retaliation. The State Department said Rubio sees the event as a way “to advance practical cooperation on shared economic and security challenges” and wants the group to seek solutions to “geopolitical crises contributing to global economic shocks.” Elaine Dezenski of the Foundation for Defence of Democracies told reporters the meeting is “less of a meeting and more of a test” of whether the U.S. can build cooperation even without full consensus.
Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-scraps-g20-photo-after-europeans-object-to-being-pictured-with-russias-lavrov/article71648078.ece
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Publish Date: 2026-10-31 08:37:00
