The United States cancelled the traditional group photo of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta on Friday, October 30, 2026, after several European diplomats objected to posing with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to The Hindu. The decision, made on the opening day of talks, has exposed deep divisions among members of the group.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly cancelled the photo because he judged the controversy would be a distraction, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Hindu reports this account, but no US official has explained the decision on the record.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said there would be no family photo with European partners and Lavrov because "there is no normalcy with Russia," according to DW.
Rubio opened the talks by stressing unity, saying the G20 faces "a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises," according to DW.
Ukraine was not invited this year, according to The Hindu. US officials said they made a conscious choice to include only formal G20 members. South Africa, which is also a member, was not invited either. South Africa said its nonparticipation "is not voluntary," according to Phindile Kunene, spokesperson for Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, as reported by DW.
Lavrov is under international sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. His attendance follows Trump’s diesel deal with Russia and waiver of new energy sanctions, according to DW. Former US ambassador Ian Kelly said inviting Lavrov was "politically boneheaded" just days before the November 3 midterm elections, according to The Hindu.
Instead of a final declaration, the meeting is expected to end Saturday with a chair summary drafted by the US, according to AFP as reported by DW. The Atlanta meeting is meant to set the stage for a G20 leaders’ summit hosted by President Donald Trump at his Miami golf club in December, according to The Hindu.
Several points remain unclear. Whether Putin will attend the December summit is unconfirmed, and Lavrov declined to say, according to DW. European officials, including Kallas and Miliband, have accused Lavrov of telling lies, and no rebuttal from Moscow beyond general statements has been reported. The key facts on the photo rely mainly on The Hindu and DW, and the full text of the closing remarks was not available.
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