RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — President Joe Biden was notably absent from the traditional photo of world leaders at the final Group of 20 summit of his presidency on Monday. The photo-shoot mishap was attributed to timing issues by U.S. officials.
Biden, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, arrived after photographers had already captured the official picture. This left Chinese President Xi Jinping front and center among the rows of leaders posed against the backdrop of blue skies and water in Rio de Janeiro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was positioned in a less visible back row.
A senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that Biden and other leaders missed the photo due to logistical challenges. The photo was taken earlier than scheduled, catching them off guard.
Biden and Trudeau eventually made their way to the designated spot for the photo, where they stood and looked around for a while. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also did not participate in the group photo, a customary feature of such summits.
