G20 ministers end Atlanta talks without joint communique

· Politics · United States · Russia

G20 foreign ministers ended a two-day meeting in Atlanta without consensus on key global security issues and without a joint communique, relying instead on a chairman's statement that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would release. The traditional opening "family photo" was abruptly cancelled after about a third of countries, including Australia and the UK, refused to appear alongside Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov. Rubio defended Russia's presence, saying dialogue is the only way to end the war in Ukraine, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that hosting President Vladimir Putin at the leaders' summit in Florida in December could normalize war crimes. On the sidelines, Rubio agreed to meet Brazil's foreign minister in coming weeks.

Why it matters：The split over Russia's participation shows how hard it is for the G20 to agree on security issues, weakening a key forum for coordinating responses to wars and the global economy ahead of December's leaders' summit.

Key points

  • No joint communique was issued; a chairman's statement will stand in.
  • About one-third of countries, including Australia and the UK, refused to pose with Lavrov.
  • EU's Kallas warned that Putin's attendance in Florida could normalize war crimes.

Sources (original reporting)

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