G20 Meeting Exposes International Rifts As Leading Economies Fail To Reach Consensus On Key Issues

Diplomats from various nations refused to be pictured alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Atlanta, which is being held over Friday and Saturday. G20 summits bring together 19 economically powerful sovereign nations, including the U.S., Russia and China, as well as the European and African Unions.

The U.S. cancelled the traditional "family photo," a group photograph traditionally taking of all foreign representatives at the beginning of G20 meetings, after a reported third of nations in attendance said that they were uncomfortable being pictured alongside the Kremlin's representative, according to a Western diplomat cited by Reuters.

The reason for the various nations' aversion to the Russian diplomat was Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.

Ukraine's European allies, who have long supported Kyiv with weaponry, were opposed to the photograph, as were Australia and Canada.

"In no case will ‌there be a family photo with European partners and Mr Lavrov together because ... there is no normalcy with Russia," German foreign minister ⁠Johann Wadephul said on Friday.

"The UK has a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and we are not about to change that," one British official told the BBC.

Lavrov's response to the affair was dismissive.

"If what matters most to them is how they look in the family photo and who is standing next to them, well, that says it all," the longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

Awkward photo cancellation points to deeper divisions

Reports indicate that the two-day G20 talks have not produced a consensus over key global security issues such as the Russia-Ukraine and Iran conflicts, U.S. tariffs and Chinese actions in the South China Sea. Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, U.S. tariffs and Chinese machinations in the South China Sea.

Divisions between the constituent nations, particularly relating to Russia's war with Ukraine, thwarted progress.

The group will not release a joint statement at the end of the meeting, as is customary at G20 summits, and instead a statement summarizing the talks will be delivered.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, invited to represent Poland as a guest at the meeting, implicitly blamed Moscow for the failure to reach significant agreements.

"We have wars going on, and we have participants in those wars around the table, so it's very difficult to agree on a common line," he told reporters on Friday.

London's criticism of Russia was more explicit.

"Russia's war continues to cause colossal global harm - including the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and disruption that hits energy and supplies and worsens food insecurity," UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told foreign ministers on Friday.

"This war is not simply a test for Europe or for NATO - it requires all of us to apply economic and diplomatic pressure to deprive Putin of the revenues that perpetuate this barbaric war," Miliband continued.

The U.S., on the other hand, had urged unity at the start of the meeting, with host and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for unity between the nations to address "a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises."

Washington's role in the Russia-Ukraine war, the main sticking point in the talks, has been controversial. Though initially a staunch ally of Kyiv's under the administration of former President Joe Biden, U.S.-Russia relations have improved recently as the administration of President Donald Trump has waived planned Russia sanctions, reached a diesel agreement with Putin and even called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's replacement.

However, relations between Kyiv and Washington are showing some signs of recovery, as the state department approved the sale of 500 patriot missiles - critical for Kyiv's defensive capabilities against Russian ballistic missiles - to the eastern European nation on Friday.