EU diplomats object to G20 photo with Lavrov, prompting US cancellation

The United States cancelled a planned group photo of foreign ministers from the world's 20 largest economies (G20) on Friday after several European diplomats objected to being photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to walk out. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to cancel the photo to avoid further controversy, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Opening the talks, Rubio looked ahead, saying he hoped for “a productive meeting.” “We are in a critical moment — I would call it a moment of choosing, and I would say not just for my country, the United States of America, but frankly, for the world," he said.