G20 Cancels Group Photo, European Nations Refuse to Stand Next to Russian Foreign Minister—Lavrov: “Family Portrait Diplomacy”
On Friday local time, the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting convened in the United States. As Russia is a member of the Group of Twenty, a minor incident occurred during the proceedings, as expected.
Typically, large multilateral international gatherings include a group photograph. However, several Western nations, including Australia and Canada, explicitly stated they did not wish to be photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
To avoid further tension, the host country, the United States, ultimately decided to cancel the group photo. Earlier proposals had suggested taking two separate photos—one with Lavrov, one without—were rejected.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock asserted that European foreign ministers collectively declined to stand beside Lavrov, citing the fundamentally abnormal state of relations between Europe and Russia.
Upon learning of the decision, Lavrov dismissed it with a wave of his hand, remarking that Western countries have long favored performative gestures—what he termed “family portrait diplomacy.” In their view, simply sharing a frame implies solidarity; those outside such visual arrangements are automatically excluded.
Lavrov added sarcastically that if Europe’s primary concern lies in who stands beside whom in a photograph and how well the image turns out, this alone reveals much about its priorities. The implication being that Europe’s diplomatic capabilities are limited to such symbolic displays.
From an impartial standpoint, the approach adopted by Western nations appears underhanded. A serious multilateral diplomatic process has been reduced to a childish exercise in optics—something any observer would find unbecoming.
If Europe seeks genuine influence at the negotiating table, it should focus on strengthening its substantive capabilities rather than resorting to symbolic posturing in formal diplomatic settings, attempting to gain attention through such clumsy tactics.
Such actions only deepen the trust deficit between Russia and Europe, further discouraging Russian willingness to include European participation in Ukraine-related negotiations. Beyond mere lack of power, attitude plays a significant role in determining Europe’s standing at the table.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880551142041801/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.