NO SMILES FOR THE CAMERA: G20 Ministers Skip Group Photo Over Russia

Foreign ministers from the G20 skipped a traditional group photo ahead of their meeting in Atlanta on Friday after European representatives objected to the presence of Russia, Reuters reported.

The U.S. State Department agenda for the meeting did not include the so-called family shot. Ministers — including Russia's Sergei Lavrov — began the first session without having posed for photographers.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters earlier Friday: “In no case will there be a family photo with European partners and Mr. Lavrov together because ... there is no normalcy with Russia.”

European officials had earlier suggested there might be two separate pictures — one with Lavrov and one without. In the end, there was no group photo at all.

The split reflects a deeper divide over Ukraine. European G20 members back Ukraine, which has objected to recent U.S. decisions on Russia, including a deal to buy diesel and waive some sanctions, according to Reuters. The skipped photo, usually a routine symbol of unity at summits, became instead a visible sign of how far apart the world's major economies remain over Russia's war in Ukraine.