EU diplomats refuse photo with Lavrov at G20; Kallas challenges Russia over Ukraine

European diplomats declined to appear in a group photograph alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on Friday, forcing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to scrap the planned photo entirely.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters there would be no family photo with European partners and Lavrov because "there is no normalcy with Russia."

Rubio opened the two-day gathering by telling counterparts they were in a "critical moment" and that the world faces "a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises," including disruptions to global energy and trade posing "severe threats to essential foundations of the global economic order."

The meeting, a precursor to a G20 leaders summit Donald Trump will host at his Miami golf club in December, brought together the EU, Russia, India, China, Brazil and other major economies.

On Ukraine, Lavrov told DW on the sidelines that Putin is willing to meet Zelenskyy only if Zelenskyy travels to Moscow, adding: "We will guarantee his safety." Lavrov declined to say whether Putin would attend the December summit. Putin has not attended a G20 leaders meeting in person since 2019.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas pressed Lavrov directly on Russia's continued drone strikes against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The US has invited Putin to Miami; Zelenskyy has said he would attend if Putin also came.