Johann Wadephul
Role at the time: Federal Foreign Minister of Germany, speaking to reporters before the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta
Mixed or conditional
Statement summary
Before the Atlanta meeting began, Wadephul said there would be no group photo showing European partners together with Lavrov, that there is no business as usual with Russia, and that differences must be discussed at the table.
“There is no such thing as 'business as usual' with Russia. We need to discuss our differences right here at the table.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)G20 foreign ministers' meeting in the U.S. sends a message to MoscowFull article (dpa report published by blue News)
Why we used this label
The reference point is the United States' decision to bring Russia, represented by Lavrov, into the G20 foreign ministers' talks in Atlanta. Wadephul accepts discussing differences with Russia at the table but refuses a group photo with Lavrov and says there is no business as usual with Russia, a conditional position.