G20 foreign ministers scrap ‘family photo’ as Lavrov crashes party

The U.S. hosts of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting opted to skip the traditional “family photo” Friday after several top diplomats objected to being photographed with a Russian official.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s presence at the two-day event in Atlanta raised tensions within the group because of his country’s ongoing military offensive in Ukraine, which has waged on for almost five years.

A U.S. official confirmed to The Hill that event hosts opted to skip the ceremonial photo after it became apparent some diplomats were unwilling to participate. The official said the move served to avoid a potential diplomatic distraction and keep the focus trained on the meeting’s priorities.

“There is no ‘business as usual’ with Russia,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters in Atlanta, according to Bloomberg . “We need to discuss these controversies here at the table, which is why this conversation is important. But we must also avoid sending the wrong visual signals.”

At a September G20 gathering in Asheville, N.C., Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was omitted from a group picture after several members and allies said they would not participate if he was involved.

The cancellation of the traditional photo at the Atlanta meeting comes amid tensions within the G20 over the Trump administration’s recent diesel deal with Russia and decision to halt the implementation of recently passed Russian sanctions — outlined under a legislative package dedicated to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

The two-day gathering in Atlanta comes ahead of the group’s summit with foreign leaders at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami. The president has extended an invite to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the gathering.

On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened the meeting of foreign ministers with a warning that the world faces a “moment of choosing” against a backdrop of mounting economic and geopolitical tensions.

“As diplomats, as political leaders, we have a vital role to play,” Rubio told the group.

“We are tasked, on behalf of the nations that we serve, to work together with one another to coordinate responses to emerging crises and to protect our shared interests,” he continued. “By translating our shared interest into practical cooperation and real action, we can reinforce global stability, and more importantly, we can deliver meaningful results for our citizens.”