G20 foreign ministers meet in Atlanta as wars divide members

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 30 and 31, 2026, The Hindu reported. The meeting sets the stage for the G20 leaders' summit in December, which President Donald Trump is to host at his Doral resort in Miami.

The talks were expected to be fractious, according to The Hindu, with the wars in Ukraine and Iran and high energy prices dividing members. The meeting comes just days before the U.S. midterm elections.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said that under President Trump's leadership the United States is "returning the G20 to its core economic mission of driving growth, strengthening economic security, and delivering results for the American people."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in the United States for the meeting, Russia's state-owned TASS news agency reported on Friday, according to The Hindu. The U.S. dropped plans for a group photo of the ministers after European diplomats objected to Lavrov's presence, the BBC and the Hindustan Times reported.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is representing India. His October 29–31 visit, his fourth to the U.S. this year, includes meetings with his G20 counterparts, The Hindu reported. According to diplomatic sources cited by the paper, he is also taking part in a Quad foreign ministers' meeting hosted by Rubio in Atlanta with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu.