be fractious, just days before crucial US midterm elections. The foreign ministers' meeting will set the stage for a December G20 leaders' summit in Miami at President Donald Trump's Doral resort. Few breakthroughs are expected from the Group of 20 economies — which include China, India, Russia, Japan, Germany and France — as officials remain deeply divided over Moscow's war in Ukraine and fallout from the conflict with Iran. Russia has been largely shunned by the West since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Lavrov himself remains under international sanctions. His encounter with Rubio will be closely watched as Washington pursues diplomacy on Ukraine while also seeking Moscow's cooperation on reining in fuel prices, a key campaign issue in the midterms. According to a diplomatic source, the G20 is "no longer really a forum where foreign ministers can reach agreement on a statement." Instead of a final declaration, a chair summary drafted by the United States is expected. The source said the US presidency intends for the Miami summit to serve "more as a demonstration of American power — and of US commitments to growth, deregulation, trade and business — rather than as a summit with grand ambitions on substantive issues." The Trump administration, which is set to hand the rotating G20 leadership to Britain, argues the platform has strayed from its core mission and has pledged to return it to driving economic growth, saying security and economic prosperity are "inextricably linked." A State Department official said the Atlanta conversations will focus on energy and supply chain challenges, energy access needed for technologies like artificial intelligence, and a shared resolve to keep critical sea lanes open to commerce "without threats or tolls." (Bssnews)