Politics News
G20 drops its family photo over Lavrov: a split shown in a picture that was never taken
The United States cancelled the traditional “family photo” at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta after several countries refused to appear beside Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. The Guardian said about one-third of countries, including Australia and the UK, threatened to boycott or walk out of the photo before Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it off.
BBC News reported that UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband confronted Lavrov at the meeting and accused Russia of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine. Before the talks, The Hindu reported that Moscow said Lavrov would use his speech to argue against sanctions, and quoted a State Department official saying the talks would cover energy and supply chain challenges.
“Military solutions not working, give diplomacy a chance” — S. Jaishankar's message, as headlined by Hindustan Times
Al Jazeera said the Iran war, disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine divided G20 members. Arab News reported the Saudi foreign minister's participation and the agenda: maritime security, energy and food security, and supply chains.
How each outlet framed it
- The Guardian and BBC News — the Western snub, and the UK's confrontation with Lavrov.
- Hindustan Times and The Hindu — India's role: Jaishankar's call for diplomacy and his meetings on the sidelines.
- Al Jazeera — a gathering split by two wars.
- Arab News — the Gulf view: Saudi Arabia's presence and the economic agenda.
What we don't know yet: Whether the split will carry over to the G20 leaders' summit in Miami, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend, according to Hindustan Times.