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Group photo at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting was canceled after several European countries refused to take a photo with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. Although the United States emphasized cooperation and stability, the meeting still had serious differences of opinion on issues such as the Russia–Ukraine war.
Foreign ministers of many European countries refused to cooperateRussia Foreign Minister Lavrov took a group photo at the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers’ meeting, and the host United States canceled the planned group photo.
According to reports by Reuters and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the US Secretary of Staterubio (Marco Rubio) today urged the foreign ministers of other G20 countries to work together to promote geopolitical stability and economic prosperity, and warned that a series of crises pose a serious threat to the global economic order.
HoweverRussia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the two-day G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, US, sparking discontent among the foreign ministers of many G20 countries and deepening serious differences between the countries over the Russia-Ukraine war and the war in the Middle East. Experts and diplomats believe that this will not lead to sufficient progress in the meeting.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who had criticized Lavrov’s participation in the meeting, was absent from the inaugural plenary meeting. A spokesperson said Anand would arrive late as he is attending the Canada-European Union (EU) summit in Montreal.
The Foreign Minister of South Africa also did not attend. The United States is holding the rotating presidency of the G20 this year and has not invited South Africa to attend the meeting.
Rubio’s official itinerary did not include the traditional G20 photo session, after some European officials expressed reluctance to take photos with Lavrov. A Western diplomat said about one-third of attendees, including Australia and Canada, objected to the group photo.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful told the media that he hoped the group photo would be canceled altogether, adding that “No European partner will under any circumstances take a group photo with Mr. Lavrov because, as I said yesterday, there is no normal situation with Russia.”
Two officials confirmed to the BBC that today’s planned group photo event had been cancelled.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Lavrov later in the meeting: “I want to tell the Russian Foreign Minister directly that we all know who is the aggressor in this war.” He accused the Russian government of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine.
The United States wants to focus allies on trade imbalances and build alliances to counter China’s control over key minerals, but the war and economic impacts remain top concerns for many G20 members.
In his inaugural address, Rubio said the world is facing multiple crises that threaten global energy and food supplies, trade, and freedom of navigation.
He said, “On behalf of the countries we serve, we have a responsibility to work with each other to coordinate responses to emerging crises and protect common interests. We can help create an environment that promotes geopolitical stability and fosters the broader economic prosperity issues that leaders will address.”
Heidi Crabo-Rediker, who served as the State Department’s chief economist during the Obama administration, said that among G20 members, Russia, China, and middle powers such as Brazil and India are trying to grow into the strategic competition between the United States and China, and differences between the countries are now “more serious than ever.”
He also said that for about 10 years, Group of Seven (G7) countries would at least agree on a coordinated position before attending a G20 meeting, “but now we can’t even do that.”
A US State Department official told media that some consensus has been reached at the four G20 ministerial meetings held this year, but there is still more work to be done before the leaders’ summit in Miami from December 14 to 16.
