The United States cancelled the G20 foreign ministers' 'family photo' scheduled for Friday morning in Atlanta after European delegations, including the UK, refused to pose alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, two officials confirmed to the BBC.
A diplomatic source confirmed the UK was among the countries that refused to participate. One British official said: "The UK has a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and we are not about to change that."
A US official said the photo was cancelled "after it became clear some of the delegations were unwilling to participate in a joint photo". "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," the official said.
The family photo, which would usually include representatives from all nations in attendance, had been scheduled for Friday morning at the meeting, which gathers top diplomats from the world's biggest economies and is being hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukraine, which is not a G20 member but has been invited to similar meetings in recent years, was not invited to this meeting. Relations between Ukraine and the US have been particularly tense this month, with a diplomatic standoff between Zelensky and Trump over Kyiv's strikes on oil infrastructure within Russia.
The cancellation comes as relations between the US and Russia appear to have partially thawed in recent weeks. Trump waived some Russian sanctions and agreed to a deal to import Russian diesel for the American market. The move comes as Trump attempts to lower fuel prices in the US ahead of mid-term elections at the start of November, after months spent grappling with the political consequences of the Iran war.
Ukraine and its European allies have heavily criticised the deal. Zelensky called it "a gift" to Putin that amounts to "an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged". Trump said his decision to suspend several Russian sanctions was an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Putin has said Russia, which introduced a ban on diesel exports earlier this year, is willing to supply both the US and global markets with oil and petroleum products.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory. Moscow has in recent weeks intensified its deadly missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The cancelled photo is a public marker of the divide between Washington and its European allies over Russia, with the UK saying it will not change its policy of no direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers.
- The US-Russia thaw, including the waiver of some sanctions and a diesel import deal, has drawn heavy criticism from Kyiv and European allies, who see it as an investment in a war Ukraine wants ended.
- The G20 meeting is meant to focus on substantive global discussions, but the dispute shows how much the war in Ukraine now shapes diplomacy among the world's largest economies.
Background
The G20 is a forum of the world's largest economies, and its ministerial meetings typically include a group photograph of all delegations, a symbol of multilateral cooperation. Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine led many Western governments, including the UK, to break direct bilateral contact with Russian ministers. The Trump administration has taken a different approach in recent weeks, easing some sanctions and agreeing to import Russian diesel, a policy shift that has widened the rift with allies.
Key Perspectives
UK (British official): "The UK has a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and we are not about to change that."
US official: The photo was cancelled after it became clear some delegations were unwilling to take part; the US "decided to forgo the photo and keep the focus on the substantive discussions".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: Called the US diesel deal "a gift" to Putin and "an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged".
US President Donald Trump: Said suspending Russian sanctions is an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin: Said Russia is willing to supply both the US and global markets with oil and petroleum products.
What to Watch
- Whether divisions over Russia disrupt the substantive G20 discussions in Atlanta beyond the cancelled photo.
- Whether the US diesel import deal and the waiver of sanctions move forward, and what effect they have on US fuel prices before the mid-term elections at the start of November.
- Russia's intensifying missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, and any Western response.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe G20 cancelled the family photo.BBC News: “European diplomats have refused to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the US, leading to the American hosts cancelling the planned picture.”
- SupportedEuropean diplomats refused to stand for a photo with Lavrov.BBC News: “European diplomats have refused to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the US”
- SupportedThe United States cancelled the photo after European delegations, including the UK, refused to pose with Lavrov.BBC News: “European diplomats have refused to stand for an official photo with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the US, leading to the American hosts cancelling the planned picture. […] a diplomatic source confirmed the UK was among the countries which refused to participate in the picture.”
- SupportedTwo officials confirmed the cancellation to the BBC.BBC News: “Two officials confirmed to the BBC the cancellation of the so-called family photo scheduled for Friday morning”
- SupportedA British official said the UK had a longstanding policy against direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and would not change it.BBC News: “One British official said: "The UK has a longstanding policy not to have direct, bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine and we are not about to change that".”
- SupportedA US official said the photo was cancelled after some delegations were unwilling to participate in a joint photo.BBC News: “A US official said the photo was cancelled "after it became clear some of the delegations were unwilling to participate in a joint photo".”
- SupportedA US official said the US chose to forgo the photo to avoid a diplomatic distraction and keep focus on substantive discussions.BBC News: “"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," the official said.”
- SupportedUkraine was not invited to the meeting, despite having been invited to similar meetings in recent years.BBC News: “Ukraine is not not a G20 member but has been invited to similar meetings in recent years. However, Ukraine was not invited to this meeting.”
- SupportedRelations between Ukraine and the US were particularly tense this month amid a standoff over Kyiv's strikes on oil infrastructure in Russia.BBC News: “Relations between Ukraine and the US have been particularly tense this month, with a diplomatic standoff between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over Kyiv's strikes on oil infrastructure within Russia.”
- SupportedTrump waived some Russian sanctions and agreed to a deal to import Russian diesel for the US market.BBC News: “Trump waived some sanctions and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the American market.”
- SupportedZelensky called Trump's deal “a gift” to Putin and “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”.BBC News: “Zelensky called it "a gift" to Putin that amounts to "an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged".”
- SupportedRussia currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.BBC News: “Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.”