US President Joe Biden found himself shunted ‘out of the picture’ on Tuesday as G20 leaders took a ‘family photo’ without him. The POTUS had been on his way back from a meeting with Canadian leader Justin Trudeau when the image was taken — sparking debate about their conspicuous absense. Instead it was three key members of the BRICS alliance — Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva — that stood front and center with linked hands for the photo.
The snub — which also affected Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — appears to have been unintended. American officials have blamed it on "logistical issues" and said the picture was taken too soon.
It however serves as a stark reminder of the increasingly sidelined status of Biden ahead of a Trump comeback.
“They took the photo early before all the leaders had arrived. So a number of the leaders weren't actually there,” an US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Biden and Trudeau strolled up soon after photographers had finished taking the official picture as other world leaders milled about chatting. Visuals shared from the event showed the trio posing for a photo together after missing the main moment.
Meanwhile the Brazilian organisers said that Biden and the others were late. It is possible that the leaders may be herded together yet again for a reshoot during the course of the summit — which would be a first in the history of the G-20.
The adage that a picture is worth a thousand words couldn’t be truer when it comes to the annual G-20 tradition of the family photo. Since its foundation in 1999, this snapshot in time tells the story of the rise and fall of collaboration between the world’s most powerful economies.
(With inputs from agencies)
