U.S. President Participates in Reshoot After Missing Initial Group Picture
In Rio de Janeiro at the G20 summit, U.S. President
Joe Biden secured his place in the leaders' group photo during a reshoot on Tuesday, after missing the initial session due to logistical issues.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were also absent from the first photo, but joined the reshoot.
President Biden, attending his final G20 summit before the scheduled inauguration of
Donald Trump on January 20, stood prominently in the center of the front row.
Upon arriving on stage, Biden was warmly greeted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and engaged in conversation with Trudeau.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was slightly delayed, took his place for the photo at the venue, a Rio art museum.
This reshoot ended with a display of unity as leaders clapped and held hands, contrasting with the previous day's disorganized attempt where Biden's absence seemed to symbolize diminished U.S. influence amid anticipation of a new U.S. administration.
Throughout his South America visit, Biden has advocated for international collaboration on issues such as Ukraine, the Middle East, and climate change, though his media interactions have been limited.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, representing President Vladimir Putin due to the latter's ICC warrant, attended the first photo session but not the second.
Lavrov recently highlighted increased tensions following Ukraine's use of U.S. missiles and called attention to Russia's revised nuclear policy under a recent decree by Putin.