European diplomats have refused to stand for an official photo with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, leading to the American hosts cancelling the planned picture. Two officials confirmed to BBC the cancellation of the “family photo” scheduled for Friday, which usually include representatives from all nations attending. “Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is,” UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband later told his Russian counterpart at the summit, accusing his government of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine. The meeting is being hosted in Atlanta by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Speaking with G20 foreign ministers on Friday, Miliband said that member countries must “work harder to secure just and lasting peace in Ukraine”. “Russia’s war continues to cause colossal global harm – including the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and disruption that hits energy and supplies and worsens food insecurity,” he said. “This war is not simply a test for Europe or for Nato – it requires all of us to apply economic and diplomatic pressure to deprive Putin of the revenues that perpetuate this barbaric war.” Ukraine is not a G20 member but has been invited to similar meetings in recent years. However, Ukraine was not invited to this meeting.
One British official told the BBC: “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”. 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. 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.
In contrast to Ukraine, relations between the US and Russia appear to have partially thawed in recent weeks, as Trump waived some sanctions and agreed 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 midterm elections on Tuesday, after months spent grappling with the political consequences of the Iran war. Ukraine and its European allies have heavily criticised Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 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 is 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. Still, the US State Department this week said it had approved the sale of more than $2bn worth of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a critically needed munition for the country’s air defences to protect itself from Russian attacks. 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. US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine Missiles hit Kyiv after Russia agrees to US call to resume Ukraine peace talks Trump says suspension of Russia sanctions is to keep peace negotiations going
