The foreign ministers of the G20countries met on 30 and 31 October 2026 in Atlanta (Georgia) to discuss current geopolitical crises and their economic consequences. The question of how to deal with Russia was at the forefront of the talks: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the meeting, while several European representatives refused to take part in the traditional joint group photo The US hosts then cancelled the photo. The German government was represented by Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul who, according to dpa, stressed that “there is no normality with Russia”, while also saying that dialogue at the table was necessary. (As at 31 October 2026). ([tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/amerika/g20-aussenminister-102.html?utm_source=openai))
The absence of the group photo became a visible symbol of the divisions within the G20 in Atlanta: according to reports, several European foreign ministers threatened to boycott the photo if Lavrov posed alongside them. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio nevertheless called for cooperation on issues such as safeguarding global supply chains, energy and food security, and freedom of navigation. Observers believe that disagreements over Russia and the possible exclusion of countries could make it difficult to agree on a joint communiqué. ([welt.de](https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article6ae4ae399cc46e5eac2c3f0a/g20-europaeer-drohen-mit-eklat-rubio-streicht-gruppenfoto-mit-lawrow.html?utm_source=openai))
The meeting is doubly relevant for Germany: first, the foreign ministers’ meeting prepares the agenda for the forthcoming G20 summit of heads of state and government; second, tensions with Russia are directly relevant to security and economic policy. In advance, the Federal Foreign Office had announced that German representatives would attend and explicitly noted Lavrov’s presence; the government spokesperson pointed out that talks had to be held in a multilateral setting. In statements made at the meeting, Federal Foreign Minister Wadephul expressed hope, according to media reports, for robust negotiating formats between Russia and the Ukraine, without giving any specific timetable. ([auswaertiges-amt.de](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/regierungspressekonferenz-2808086?utm_source=openai))
The consequences of the meeting are foreseeable: in the short term, the visible loss of trust reduces the chances of a comprehensive joint G20 statement on securing trade and energy supplies. In the medium term, member states are testing how multilateral forums can deal with deep geopolitical divisions without undermining their institutional ability to function. The facts, quotations and dates in this report are based on official information from the Federal Foreign Office and reports by international and German media at the meeting; unsubstantiated speculation has been excluded. ([auswaertiges-amt.de](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/regierungspressekonferenz-2808086?utm_source=openai))
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).