G20 foreign ministers refused to be photographed with Lavrov — Bloomberg

The organizers of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, canceled the group photo after representatives from several countries refused to be photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Among those who opposed the group photo was German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. He stated that there can be no normal business relations with Russia.

 “We need to discuss our differences at the negotiating table, which is why this meeting is important. But we must also avoid sending the wrong visual signals,” Wadeful emphasized.

As the publication notes, a group photo is a traditional element of such meetings and symbolizes the unity of the participants. Its cancellation was yet another sign of the differences between the U.S. and its European allies regarding their approaches to Russia and ending the war in Ukraine.

Source: Bloomberg

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated in Atlanta, U.S., that European representatives would not appear in a group photo with the foreign minister of the Russian Federation—the aggressor state — Sergey Lavrov — during the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting. 

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár arrived in Moscow on October 26 to participate in a meeting of the Russian-Slovak Intergovernmental Commission. During his visit, he also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated after his meeting with Sergey Lavrov that he saw no willingness on the part of the Russian side to begin negotiations on ending the war. The conversation took place on September 26 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and marked the first in-person meeting between the German and Russian foreign ministers since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.