US Hosts Fractious G20 Meeting in Atlanta After Photo Cancelled

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta on Friday for a two-day meeting overshadowed by global conflicts and a diplomatic boycott over the presence of Russia.

European diplomats refused to participate in an official group photograph alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, prompting American hosts to cancel the picture.

The tense gathering comes just days before crucial U.S. midterm elections and sets the stage for a December leaders' summit in Miami.

A US official said the photo was cancelled "after it became clear some of the delegations were unwilling to participate in a joint photo."

The official added that the US decided to forgo the picture "rather than allow a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction."

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called the cancellation of the group photograph “the right decision,” adding that he was not alone in his stance.

Opening the talks, Rubio appealed for unity amid severe economic and geopolitical crises.

“We are in a critical moment — I would call it a moment of choosing, and I would say not just for my country, the United States of America, but frankly, for the world,” Rubio said.

Global energy prices have surged following conflicts involving Russia and Iran, creating economic pressures for Washington ahead of the voting.

The Trump administration recently lifted certain sanctions to allow imports of Russian diesel, drawing sharp criticism from Ukraine and European allies.

A diplomatic source told Reuters that the meeting would likely conclude with a chair summary drafted by the United States rather than a final declaration.

It remains unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept an invitation to attend the upcoming leaders' summit in December.