The group photocall at Friday’s G20 meeting was cancelled after foreign secretary Ed Miliband and his European counterparts refused to be photographed with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov .

US secretary of state Marco Rubio was forced to pull the plug on the photograph at the start of the meeting of the world’s largest economies in Atlanta, Georgia , after several European officials said they intended to boycott or walk out of the photograph that often kicks off the gatherings.

Rubio decided to scrap the picture because he thought the controversy would be a distraction, according to two US officials, who spoke to the Associated Press .

Some G20 countries had already expressed concern that the US invited Russia during its heightened attacks on Ukraine , especially after Donald Trump pushed ties with Kyiv to new lows by waiving fresh sanctions on Moscow and temporarily limiting logistical and intelligence assistance .

In his intervention at Friday’s meeting, Mr Miliband said: “Let me say this…