Ed Miliband, USA News (Atlanta, Georgia): Ed Miliband stated that he informed the Russian Foreign Minister that his country would not prevail in its invasion of Ukraine during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The traditional photocall of all attendees was scrapped after around a third of participants, including the Foreign Secretary, refused to be pictured with Sergey Lavrov.
Sergey Lavrov, the Kremlin’s representative at the multinational gathering, described the scrapped call as merely family photo diplomacy. He also stated that Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments regarding maintaining strikes on Russian targets were unhelpful for potential future peace talks.
The 2026 G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, featuring representatives from 19 countries alongside the European Union and African Union, began in Atlanta, Georgia. The Foreign Secretary delivered a direct message to the Russian Foreign Minister, declaring that everyone knows who the aggressor is in the conflict.
He told the gathering that the war was initiated four and a half years ago with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and noted that Vladimir Putin initially expected an easy victory. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that a family photo was impossible because there was no normalcy with Russia.
Mr. Lavrov responded by criticizing the focus on imagery, stating that if appearance in a family photo and proximity to other attendees is what matters most, it speaks for itself. United States officials informed Reuters that the photocall was canceled to avoid a spectacle that could overshadow the meeting.
Addressing the plenary directly, Mr. Miliband stated that if Russia had the courage to tell the truth and do what is right, it would inform Putin that he is not winning the war and will not win. The Foreign Secretary insisted that members of the multinational body must work harder to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, highlighting fuel prices and food insecurity as global ramifications of the invasion.
He described the conflict as an assault not only on Ukraine but on all nations, trampling international law, sovereignty, and self-determination. He asserted that the war requires global economic and diplomatic pressure to deprive Putin of revenues.
The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is intended to set the stage for the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled to be held at Donald Trump’s Miami resort, the Trump National Doral Miami. In addition to the 21 members, leaders from 13 foreign countries have been invited to the Florida meeting planned for December 14 and 15.
Marco Rubio, leading the plenary, stated that Poland was invited as a full participant and urged representatives to establish a solid foundation of aligned commitment for the Leaders’ Summit. However, the Russian Foreign Minister claimed Poland’s inclusion violated diplomatic principles. Meanwhile, South Africa, a G20 member, has been barred from attending the Leaders’ Summit over farm attacks on white Afrikaners, which Mr. Trump previously labeled a genocide.
