British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband sent a direct message to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta: Moscow is not winning the war in Ukraine and will not win it. Miliband called Russia an aggressor and stated that the full-scale invasion began more than four years ago.
“We all know that you are the aggressor. We all know that you started this war. Putin thought he would win it easily, but you are not winning this war“, said the British minister, addressing Lavrov. He added that his position was due to the “courage of the Ukrainian people and the solidarity of the countries around this table“. The quote was carried by Sky News and British media.
Miliband called on participants to continue the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and to limit the revenues that support the war. According to him, a lasting and just peace in Ukraine requires greater consistency from countries that defend their common values and interests.
European ministers refuse group photo with Lavrov
The tone of the meeting was also underlined by the decision to cancel the traditional group photo of G20 foreign ministers. According to Reuters, about a third of the participants, including representatives of Australia and Canada, said they did not want to be photographed with Lavrov. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has removed the photo from the program so that it does not become the main diplomatic dispute of the meeting.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful said that there is no normality in relations with Russia. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also said that he did not want to take part in a photo with Lavrov.
The Russian Foreign Minister rejected the significance of the boycott. "If for them the most important thing is how they look in a family photo and who is standing next to them, that speaks volumes," Lavrov was quoted as saying by British media.
Meeting continues without a common position on the war
The two-day meeting in Atlanta is being held on October 30 and 31 under the chairmanship of the United States. The war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East are among the topics that are deepening the divisions between the participants. Reuters reported that the differences are likely to make it difficult to adopt unified action or a joint statement.
The US presidency is also focusing on trade imbalances, energy security and supply chains. The next meeting of G20 leaders is scheduled for December 14-16, 2026 in Miami, where it will be clear whether the diplomatic disagreements from Atlanta will find a place on the agenda of state leaders.
Sources: news.sky.com, marketscreener.com, apnews.com