Published on
The United States canceled a planned group photo of foreign ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies (G20) on Friday after several European diplomats objected to being photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and threatened to leave.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to rescind the photo to avoid further controversy, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
In opening the discussions, Rubio looked to the future, saying he hoped for “a productive meeting.”
“We are in a critical moment – I would call it a moment of choice, and I would say not just for my country, the United States of America, but frankly, for the world,” he said.
“We face a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises,” he added, many of which pose “serious threats to the essential foundations of the global economic order.”
European diplomats express concerns over Russia’s presence at the G20
The cancellation of the traditional group photo highlighted tensions within the G20, as diplomats face difficult negotiations over the war in Ukraine, the US-Israeli war against Iran, US tariffs and disputes in the South China Sea.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said canceling the group photo was “the right decision” by the United States, telling media in Atlanta that “I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to be photographed with Lavrov.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that “there is no normality with Russia” but that “we must exchange controversies around the table”, German news agency dpa reported. He added that “we must also not send falsely optimistic signals.”
Even before the dispute over the photo, several G20 countries had raised concerns about inviting Russia amid intensifying attacks on Ukraine.
Tensions also rose after Trump lifted new sanctions on Moscow and temporarily restricted logistical and intelligence support to kyiv, further straining relations between the United States and Ukraine.
Additional sources •AP
Gn world
