Foreign ministers of the G20 largest economies began a two-day meeting in the US on Friday (local time), with the gathering notably skipping the customary group photograph.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio cancelled the traditional group photo after several European officials threatened to boycott or walk out over Russia’s participation, according to reports. In a statement, the British Foreign Office reiterated the UK’s longstanding policy of avoiding direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers over the war in Ukraine, adding that it had “no plans” to change its stance. Moscow is being represented by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at the summit in Atlanta. Polish deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski, who is also the country’s foreign minister, called the cancellation of the group photograph “the right decision. Speaking to the media, he remarked: “I am not the only one who does not want to be photographed with Lavrov. The Atlanta meeting is intended to lay the groundwork for the G20 leaders’ summit, which US President Donald Trump is scheduled to host at his Miami golf club in December. It remains unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept Trump’s invitation to attend.