President Donald Trump found himself a fringe player at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany – at least in the annual 'family photo.'
Protocol for this particular meeting of world leaders dictates that those who have been in office the longest occupy the center positions when they gather to say 'cheese.'
The only exception is the host nation, whose leader – in this case German Chancellor Angela Merkel – gets the prime slot, front-and-center.
Trump, who became president less than seven months ago, was positioned near the end of the first row – with only French prime minister Emanuel Macron to his outside.
Trump and Macron were seen chatting amiably, with the pair set to meet in Paris for Bastille Day on July 14.
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Smile: The family photo of G20 leaders is a tradition which sees the longest-serving leaders get closer to the center, with the country hosting the summit having its head of government in the center. That put Trump second from left, beside Emmanuel Macron, the newly-elected French president and Joko Widodo, the president of Indonesia
Official picture: The group of leaders of the world's twenty wealthiest countries stand for posterity in Hamburg
Ou etes vous? Trump waits for Macron to arrive at the group photo, which is organized so that the longest serving leaders are closest to the host
Nice to see you: Trump gave a back pat to Emmanuel Macron as the French president moved into his designated place in the family photograph
Bonding time: A grinning Macron, who was last to arrive, adjusts his tie before the leaders turn to the front for the family photograph
Mon ami: Trump and Macron appeared relaxed in each other's company as they joshed before the photograph was taken, to the amusement of Indonesia's Joko Widodo - although Jacob Zuma of South Africa seemed less impressed
Lots to discuss: Macron - who is fluent in English - were engaged in conversation after the photograph was taken. Macron has invited Trump to Paris for Bastille Day on July 14
Front and center: The longer serving leaders, including (front left) Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, (front left) German chancellor Angela Merkel, (front center) Chinese President Xi Jinping (front right), Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi (back left), Japanese Prime minister Shinzō Abe (back second left), Austrailian Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull (back second right), Prime minister Theresa May (back right)
Trump was far from Vladimir Putin, whose long-serving leadership of Russia was signified by his place close to Merkel.
But he and Putin gave one another a warm welcome on Thursday as they met for the first time at the G20 Summit in Germany.
The pair smiled and told one another they would see each other soon in a private meeting. Trump earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader.
'I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss,' Trump wrote, adding the hashtag #USA and an American flag emoji.
Friday's much-anticipated encounter in Hamburg, Germany, comes at a pivotal time in US-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately.
'I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!' he Tweeted ahead of the G20 Summit, where he will meet with world leaders.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gave one another a warm welcome on Thursday as they shook hands during their introduction at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany
The pair smiled and told one another they would see each other soon in a private meeting. Trump earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May and EU institutional chiefs Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk were nearby when Trump and Putin greeted one another
Down to business: In the actual meeting hall, Trump was at the center, beside China's President Xi Jinping. German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the center is flanked by Argentinia's president Mauricio Macri and Australia's prime minister Malcolm Turnbull
Angela's in charge: German chancellor Angela Merkel presides over the 'working session' with (from left) Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Brazil's president Michel Temer, Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, Argentina's president Mauricio Macri, Chinese president Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, and Britain's prime minister Theresa May
Line of sight: Trump had a diagonal view of Vladimir Putin, who was sitting beside South Africa president Jacob Zuma.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the the G20 summit on Friday
Ahead of the meeting, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately
The president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Russia's President Vladimir Putin as he arrives to attend the G20 summit in Hamburg
Merkel and Putin laughed as they shook hands at the start of the G20 Summit on Friday morning. The G20 meetings will last two days
During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated next to Merkel as all of the leaders said in circular formation
Trump chatted with UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Merkel faced away from them and spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron
Putin attends a BRICS leaders' meeting as he takes part in the G20 summit in Hamburg ahead of his meeting with Trump on Friday
Putin laughed as he spoke with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto as South African President Jacob Zuma sits nearby during a talk at the G20 Summit
Putin and Pena Nieto lean across their chairs to talk at the start of the "retreat meeting" on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg
The president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting.
Merkel, as the host leader, greeted every head of state personally on a red carpet as camera shutters clicked.
She got kisses on the cheek from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron.
After 15 leaders had arrived, an announcer said the welcome proceedings were over. Merkel exited but came back several minutes later to greet Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump clasped Merkel on the shoulder as they both disappeared inside the G20 meeting room.
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During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated between Merkel and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
While May chatted with the US president, Merkel faced away from them and chatted with Macron.
The room, a cavernous sea of bright yellow carpet, put at least 50 feet of distance between Trump and Putin, who was seated a quarter of the way around the giant circle.
But the two men did meet and shake hands, according to a report in Russian state media that cited Kremlin sources.
Trump was welcomed with a handshake from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, as he arrived at the Summit
Trump tweeted ahead of the summit that he's looking forward to his first meeting with Putin at an international summit in Hamburg, Germany
Leaders of the world's rich and developing nation are discussing a variety of issues over two days of meetings at the G20 Summit, including trade and climate change
President Donald Trump is tweeting that 'everyone' in Hamburg, Germany is talking about the Democrats' response to Russian election hacking ahead of his highly-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Trump has two big meetings on his schedule apart from the formal summit agenda. He'll meet for the first time as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin and will also hold talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto
On Thursday, Trump again refused to accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November
Trump's motorcade on Friday was decorated with American and German flags ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg
President of France Emmanuel Macron arrived at the summit alongside his wife, Brigitte Trogneux. They were welcomed by the of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz
'They shook each other's hand and said that they would soon hold a separate meeting, would soon see each other,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters.
When asked if Putin was looking forward to the talks and whether he had lots of questions for Trump, Peskov said he did.
US lawmakers and federal investigators are continuing to look into Russia's election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.
Russia has been accused by four US intelligence agencies of interfering in the national election that hoisted Trump to power last year.
That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come well-prepared to meetings like this.
Trump said at a news conference in Poland on Thursday that Russia 'could have' interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign, but he's not convinced that it was the sole meddler.
'I think it was Russia, and it could have been other people in other countries,' Trump said. 'Nobody really knows.'
He added that the US Intelligence Community has made high-profile mistakes in the past, so 'nobody really knows for sure.'
Trump sought to redirect any scrutiny toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, accusing him of allowing Moscow to meddle on his watch.
Though the Obama administration warned Russia publicly and privately before Election Day to stop interfering, questions have since been raised about whether the office holder acted aggressively enough to stop the threat.
German chancellor Angela Merkel, right, welcomes Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G-20 summit in Hamburg
Trudeau told a German newspaper on Friday the leaders of G20 countries meeting in Hamburg would tell US President Donald Trump he should take the lead in addressing climate change
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron greet each other the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday
Macron said on Thursday, a day before the start of the G20 Summit, that he supported a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict
German chancellor Angela Merkel , right, welcomes Britain's Prime Minster Theresa May, at the G-20 summit in Hamburg
May will call on world leaders to choke off funding for terrorists which is being funnelled through the international financial institutions as the G20 meets in Germany
May, who has previously said Britain was disappointed by Trump's decision last month to withdraw the United States from the global agreement, is due to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit
'They say he choked. Well, I don't think he choked,' Trump said. 'I think he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he said, 'Let's not do anything about it'.'
Trump said the CIA had informed Obama about the hacking months before the election but added that 'mistakes have been made.'
In Putin, Trump sees a potential ally in the war on radicalism in the Middle East.
The Republican president and his administration have held off on slapping Moscow with new sanctions as they assess Putin's willingness to work with the US to defeat ISIS and remove Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria.
Experts on Putin have said it is Trump who should be worried that the Russian president will try to earn concessions.
Putin, like other world leaders who have Trump's number, is most likely to get what he wants by flattering him
'I would be surprised if Vladimir Putin offers any concessions in exchange for restoring what Russia sees as its inalienable rights,' Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, told the Associated Press. 'If no agreement is reached, Russia will take retaliatory measures, which could trigger new U.S. moves.'
Trump's deal-making skills and his electoral victory are especially ripe for the complimenting, foreign leaders have found, although Putin is less likely to bring up the latter than other people in positions of power who have sat across from the billionaire.
Merkel greets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in as he arrives for the G20 leaders summit. Ahead of the summit, Moon met with Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss North Korea
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier in the day had breakfast with Merkel, greets the German chancellor at the start of the G20 summit
Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, greets Merkel at the summit. Rajoy on Wednesday described as 'authoritarian delirium' plans by the ruling parties in the northeastern Catalonia region to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of a promised referendum October 1, if voters say 'yes'
Merkel greets Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto at the beginning of the G20 summit. Pena Nieto will meet with Trump later during the two-day event
Merkel welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg. Modi earlier this week visited Israel, the first-ever by an Indian prime minister
Merkel officially welcomes Japan Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, to the opening day of the G20 summit. Japan and the European Union agreed a free trade pact on Thursday to create the world's biggest open economic area and signal resistance to what they see as Trump's protectionist turn
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, is welcomed by Merkel at the summit, where he will also have meetings with President Trump
A close ally of Syria and Iran, Trump called on Russia from Poland to cease its 'destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes' in his most forceful remarks on the subject yet during a Thursday speech.
Russia must choose to join the US and its allies in their 'fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself,' Trump said.
Putin's government is presently aligned with 'powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests,' Trump stated.
'To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields,' he declared.
Russia has made no indications that it would be willing to sell out Assad in order to take out ISIS. To the contrary, it has continued to work with the ruling class in the face of vicious assaults on women and children.
Trump's attitude coming into office had been to let the civil war in Syria resolve itself. A chemical weapons attack in April that killed 89 changed his mind.
'These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this horrific attack and all other horrific attacks, for that matter,' he said during a news conference the following day.
As Trump dropped bombs on the facility in Syria where the attack was launched from several days later he urged 'all civilized nations' to join the US 'in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.'
Saudi Arabia's State Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf, left, is welcomed by Merkel on Friday. Saudi Arabia's King Salman isn't attending the event
Merkel, right, welcomes Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, at the G-20 summit. Gentiloni spoke to Trump in a phone call ahead of the event
Brazil's President Michel Temer is welcomed by Merkel as he arrives for the G20 leaders summit. Earlier this week, Temer had to present his legal defense against corruption allegations, a move seen as a bid to reduce the likelihood of being suspended from office and tried at the Supreme Court
Merkel officially welcomes Argentinan President Mauricio Macri to the G20 summit. Last month, Macri boosted public spending ahead of a crucial mid-term election
Merkel welcomes the president of the European council, Donald Tusk at the G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday. Tusk held a joint press conference with Japan's Abe and fellow EU institutional chief Jean-Claude Juncker before the event
Merkel officially welcomes President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker (left) to the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg
Before Putin, Trump will try to manage another rocky international relationship when he meets with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but he scrapped the trip at the last minute due to disagreement with Trump over the US president's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall he has vowed to build along the U.S.-Mexico border to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay.
Trump has vowed to tighten border security and crack down on undocumented workers and drug cartels, but he has been less firm on getting Mexico to pay for the wall.
He reassured Pena Nieto in April that he would not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which involves the United States, Mexico and Canada.
But Trump said he could still withdraw if he concludes that a renegotiated pact would not produce "a fair deal" for all sides.
The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday.
He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in - to discuss North Korea's aggression.
The Group of 20 gathering of the world's leading rich and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel and other US allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in battling climate change.
Even as Trump has said in vague terms he would like to renegotiate the Paris accord, European leaders have vowed to press forward.
ANGELA MERKEL COMES FACE-TO-FACE WITH ERDOGAN AFTER 'NAZI PRACTICES' JIBE
This is the moment German chancellor Angela Merkel came face-to-face with Tayyip Erdogan - months after the Turkish leader accused her of 'Nazi practices'.
Merkel sat down for talks with the Turkish president last night on the eve of the summit in Hamburg, northern Germany amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
Relations are strained between the two leaders after Erdogan who this week sharply criticised the German government's rejection of his plans to address Turkish citizens outside the G20 event.
This is the moment German chancellor Angela Merkel came face-to-face with Tayyip Erdogan - months after the Turkish leader accused her of 'Nazi practices'
In March the outspoken Turkish leader accused Merkel of 'committing Nazi practices... to my Turkish brothers and sisters in Germany.'
The accusation, which drew widespread criticism, was one of a string of Turkish comments drawing Nazi parallels with present-day Germany and the Netherlands in a dispute over restrictions on Turkish officials campaigning there in a referendum campaign.
Last night, the pair were pictured shaking hands before a meeting.
It came after Germany rejected a request by Erdogan to address Turkish citizens while attending the G20 summit in Germany in another blow to the troubled ties of the allies.
Sigmar Gabriel said Ankara had submitted a formal request for Erdogan to speak to Turkish citizens in Germany on the sidelines of the July 7-8 summit of leading economies. He said Turkey had ignored his express advice not to do so.
A spokesman for Merkel last week confirmed that Erdogan's request to speak at a non-G20 event would be denied.
Merkel and Erdogan were pictured shaking hands before a meeting ahead of the start of the G20 summit in Hamburg
Gabriel said such appearances by Erdogan, who has addressed Turks in Germany before, would be inappropriate. Germany did not want to play host to the domestic problems of another country, the minister told reporters during a visit to Russia.
He also cited security concerns for Erdogan's request being rejected.
Ties between Germany and Turkey have soured due to disagreements over a range of political and security issues, worsening significantly in the past year due to Turkey's jailing of a German-Turkish journalist, Ankara's refusal to let German lawmakers visit German troops at a Turkish air base.
Among other grievances, Erdogan has decried as 'Nazi era tactics' decisions by local German authorities to ban rallies by Turkish politicians before it held a referendum in April which widened presidential powers.
Erdogan has previously been permitted to address Turkish citizens living in Germany, home to an estimated 1.4 million eligible Turkish voters and around 3 million people with a Turkish background.
But Gabriel said he wanted to change that policy for all non-EU countries, given the experiences of the last months, and had discussed the issue with Merkel.
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