Key facts
- G20 foreign ministers' meeting photo cancelled due to diplomatic standoff.
- European diplomats refused to participate in the photo with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the meeting in Atlanta.
- The cancellation aimed to keep focus on substantive discussions.
- US President Donald Trump recently agreed to import Russian diesel.
The customary 'family photo' at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta on October 30, 2026, was cancelled after European diplomats, including Germany, refused to stand alongside Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the host, opted to forgo the ceremonial picture to prevent it from becoming a diplomatic distraction and to maintain focus on the meeting's substantive discussions. Lavrov was leading a Russian delegation aiming to promote ideas for a multipolar world. The move underscores the continued diplomatic isolation of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Relations between the US and Russia have seen a partial thaw recently, with President Donald Trump agreeing to import Russian diesel, a move criticized by Ukraine and its allies.