A controversy erupted at the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Atlanta over the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. European diplomats refused to pose for a photograph with him, prompting the American hosts to cancel the pre-planned 'family photo' scheduled for Friday. Two officials confirmed the development to the BBC. The meeting is being chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
What Did the US Say?
According to a US official, once it became clear that several delegations were not willing to participate in a shared photograph, it was decided to forgo the formal picture and focus on substantive discussions rather than letting the photo op become a diplomatic stumbling block.
Miliband's Direct Words to Lavrov
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband told his Russian counterpart, "We all know who the aggressor is in this war." He blamed Russia for the deaths of innocent civilians in Ukraine and stated that the war is disrupting energy supplies and exacerbating food insecurity. He emphasized the need to ramp up economic and diplomatic pressure. According to a British official, it has been the UK's longstanding policy not to have direct bilateral contact with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine, and this policy remains unchanged. Ukraine is not a G20 member and was not invited to this meeting.
Russia's Objection to Poland's Invite
Lavrov stated that inviting Poland to the meeting goes against diplomatic tradition, as decisions in the G20 are made by consensus.
According to him, Poland's economy is not large enough to meet the eligibility criteria. Furthermore, calling it a representative of 'Eastern Europe' is incorrect, as NATO and the EU already represent the region.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that the US has proposed making Poland a permanent G20 member and Warsaw is actively pursuing it.
US-Russia Relations Ease, Ukraine Displeased
In recent weeks, US-Russia relations have shown partial improvement. President Trump eased certain sanctions and agreed to a deal for Russian diesel imports to the US market.
This step comes as Trump seeks to lower fuel prices in the US ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday.
Ukraine and European allies have strongly criticized the move. President Zelenskyy called it a "gift" to Putin.
Trump maintains that the purpose of easing sanctions is to keep Moscow at the negotiating table.
Despite this, the US State Department approved the sale of over two billion dollars worth of Patriot missiles to Ukraine this week.
Current Situation of the War
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls roughly a fifth of its territory. In recent weeks, Moscow has intensified missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities.
