G20 foreign ministers skip photo-op amid objections over Russia


Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, US, October 30, 2026. REUTERS/Megan Varner/Pool

ATLANTA, Oct ⁠30 (Reuters) - Foreign ministers from the G20 ⁠skipped a traditional group photo ‌ahead of their meeting in Atlanta on Friday after European representatives objected to the presence ​of Russia.

The US State Department ⁠agenda for the ⁠meeting did not include the so-called ⁠family shot ‌and ministers – including Russia's Sergei Lavrov – began the first ⁠session without having posed for photographers.

"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 told reporters earlier on Friday.

European officials had earlier suggested there might be ⁠two separate pictures — one with Lavrov and one without.

European G20 members back Ukraine, which has objected to US ​President Donald Trump's ⁠recent decisions on Russia, including a deal ​to buy diesel ‌and waive some sanctions.

(Reporting ​by Andrea Shalal; Writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by David Holmes)

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