G20 'family photo' cancelled after European diplomats refuse to stand with Russia's Lavrov

A planned "family photo" at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta was cancelled after European diplomats declined to stand alongside Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, two officials confirmed to the BBC. The photo, scheduled for Friday, traditionally includes representatives from all nations attending the gathering, which is being hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A US official said the picture was scrapped "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. The snub did not stop a direct confrontation at the summit itself. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband addressed Lavrov directly, saying: "Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is," and accused Moscow of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine. Speaking to G20 foreign ministers on Friday, Miliband said 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. It was not invited to this meeting. A 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." The diplomatic friction in Atlanta comes amid strained relations between Ukraine and the US this month, including a standoff between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over Kyiv's strikes on oil infrastructure within Russia. By contrast, US-Russia relations appear to have partially thawed in recent weeks. Trump waived some sanctions and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the American market, a move he framed as an effort to lower fuel prices ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, after months of grappling with the political consequences of the Iran war. Trump said the suspension of several Russian sanctions is intended to keep Moscow at the negotiating table. Ukraine and its European allies have criticised the deal sharply. Zelensky called it "a gift" to Putin that amounts to "an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged". Putin has said Russia, which banned diesel exports earlier this year, is willing to supply both the US and global markets with oil and petroleum products. Despite the thaw, the US State Department this week approved the sale of more than $2bn worth of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a critically needed munition for the country's air defences. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, and has intensified missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.