The foreign ministers of the world's 20 biggest economies flew to Atlanta this week to sit around a table with Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, for two days. They just refused to stand next to him for the 10 seconds it takes to say "cheese."

I've watched a lot of summits. This is the first one where the hardest line anybody drew was the tape on the floor marking where to stand.

Here's what's real, per the BBC and The Guardian. The G20 "family photo," the group shot that traditionally opens these meetings, was set for Friday. About one-third of the countries at the talks, including the UK, Australia and the European Union nations, made it known they would boycott it or walk out if Lavrov was in the frame. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the host, cancelled the picture.

A US official said the photo was dropped "rather than allow a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction." Translation: the adults took the camera away before the kids could fight over it.

Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, said before the session that "there is no normality with Russia." Then diplomats who sat through the opening session, with Lavrov in the room, described it to The Guardian as "cordial."

So that's the European position. You can share a conference room with him. You can share the coffee urn. You can call the whole morning cordial. But a photograph? A photograph is where decent people draw the line.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband did address Lavrov. "Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is," he said, per the BBC. A British official then explained that the UK has a longstanding policy of no direct engagement with Russian ministers. So Miliband spoke directly to Lavrov to make clear he doesn't speak directly to Lavrov. That's not foreign policy. That's a man telling his ex-wife, to her face, that he's not speaking to her.

Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, condemned the invasion as brutal and unjustified, also in front of Lavrov. Her office then said Australia "supported" the decision to cancel the photo. A bold stand: backing the decision that saved you from having to make one.

To be fair, the photo isn't the only thing that won't happen. Participants told The Guardian the ministers probably won't agree on a joint communique either, the one document these meetings exist to produce. South Africa, a founding member, wasn't invited. Ukraine wasn't invited. Poland came as a guest. Two days, 20 economies, no picture and maybe no paper. They'd get more done in a Waffle House parking lot, and Atlanta has plenty.

On the sewer scale, I give the Atlanta G20 three rats out of five. One rat for a boycott aimed at a camera. One rat for "no normality" and "cordial" describing the same morning. One rat for a communique nobody expects to exist. I'd add a fourth, but nobody would agree to stand next to it.

The ministers wrap up Saturday. If you want proof they were all there together, you'll have to take their word for it.

And here's your bill: diesel averaged $6.31 a gallon on Oct. 31, per AAA, up from $3.69 a year ago, and the BBC reports the US just agreed to import Russian diesel, so the barrels are welcome here even if Lavrov isn't welcome in the picture.

This article is satire. The Demorat is a parody news site; real facts are drawn from the linked sources, and jokes, invented scenes, and fictional characters are not real.

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