U.S. Cancels G20 Group Photo After European Diplomats Threaten to Walk

Diplomats from the Group of 20 largest world economies are gathering in Atlanta to address deepening divisions over global wars and trade. The United States canceled a planned group photo with participants on Thursday after several European diplomats objected to being pictured with Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov.

U.S. officials said the European envoys threatened to walk out of the photo opportunity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the final decision to scrap the image. Two anonymous U.S. officials stated that Rubio determined the controversy over the photo would become a distraction from the substantive negotiations. The cancellation occurred just as the two-day meeting began on Friday.

The gathering serves as a preparatory step for a G20 leaders’ summit scheduled for December at President Donald Trump’s golf club in Miami. Rubio is chairing the current session. The agenda includes contentious issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, and U.S. tariffs.

U.S. officials identified freedom of navigation as their top priority. They plan to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and the South China Sea. These discussions will touch on the roles of Iran, Russia, and China. The prospect of new U.S. military intervention in Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections hangs over the meeting. This potential action has put regional G20 member Saudi Arabia on edge.

Russia’s presence in Atlanta has complicated relations with Western allies. The United States invited Russia during its heightened attacks on Ukraine. China will be represented by a deputy foreign minister, while most other nations sent their top diplomats. Russia’s foreign ministry complained about last-minute visa issues for its delegation. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said those complications created the impression that “not everyone in Washington is happy” about Lavrov attending.

Ian Kelly, a former U.S. ambassador to Georgia, called the invitation “politically boneheaded.” Kelly, who now teaches at Northwestern University, noted that Republican lawmakers are wary of losing congressional majorities. He added that Democrats could use the invitation to criticize the GOP ahead of the vote. Kelly said Lavrov’s attendance will hurt efforts to produce a unified approach on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, was not invited to this year’s meeting. U.S. officials said they made a conscious choice to include only formal members. South Africa, a founding G20 member and the only African country in the group, is also absent. Phindile Kunene, spokesperson for South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, said the nonparticipation was not voluntary. Kunene said South Africa remains ready to participate “on an equal footing with other members” when Britain takes over the presidency next year.

The State Department said Rubio views the event as a way to advance practical cooperation on shared economic and security challenges. Elaine Dezenski, head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described the Atlanta meeting as a test. She said the right test is whether the U.S. can build cooperation with partners when full member consensus appears to be out of reach.