European diplomats have refused to take part in an official group photograph alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, prompting US hosts to cancel the planned photo session.
Two officials confirmed to the BBC that the traditional “family photo”, scheduled for Friday, had been called off after several delegations indicated they were unwilling to stand together.
The diplomatic snub came as UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband directly confronted Lavrov over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accusing Moscow of killing innocent civilians.
“Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is,” Miliband told his Russian counterpart at the summit.
The meeting, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Atlanta, also saw Miliband urge G20 members to step up efforts to secure peace in Ukraine.
“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,” he said.
He added that the conflict was not merely a challenge for Europe or NATO, but required international economic and diplomatic pressure to cut off the revenue sustaining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
“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,” he said.
Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, was not invited to the meeting, despite having attended similar gatherings in recent years.
A British official told the BBC that the UK had maintained a longstanding policy of avoiding direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and had no intention of changing that position.
The United States confirmed that the group photograph was cancelled after it became clear that some delegations would not participate.
“Rather than allow a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction, the US decided to forgo the photo and keep the focus on the substantive discussions,” a US official said.
The incident comes amid shifting relations between Washington and Moscow, with ties appearing to have partially improved in recent weeks.
US President Donald Trump has suspended some sanctions against Russia and agreed to a deal to import Russian diesel, as his administration seeks to bring down fuel prices ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The move has drawn strong criticism from Ukraine and its European allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the agreement as “a gift” to Putin, arguing that it amounted to an investment in a war that should be brought to an end rather than prolonged.
Trump, however, said suspending several Russian sanctions was intended to keep Moscow engaged in negotiations over the war.
Putin has said Russia is prepared to supply oil and petroleum products to the United States and international markets, despite having introduced a ban on diesel exports earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the US State Department this week approved the sale of more than US$2 billion worth of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, which urgently needs the weapons to strengthen its air defences against Russian attacks.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
In recent weeks, Moscow has intensified deadly missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
