RIO DE JANEIRO: G20 leaders met Tuesday for the last day of a summit that provided some momentum to UN climate talks that had stagnated, divided on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and predicted global unrest as Donald Trump prepares to assume the presidency of the United States.
The Rio gathering’s host, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, achieved a first-day victory by enlisting 82 nations in a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.
At the summit, President Joe Biden represented the United States, although he was a less prominent figure because Trump would soon take over as America’s leader again in January.
Biden even failed to show up for a group photo of the leaders on Monday, shortly after it was shot, along with the prime ministers of Canada and Italy.
The leaders did not make any significant progress on the COP29 climate talks that are being held concurrently in Azerbaijan in a joint summit declaration released late Monday.
In a unified statement, they stated that the funds must come from “all sources,” but they did not resolve the impasse over which nations must contribute to climate financing.
However, by admitting that “trillions,” not “billions,” of funds were required to assist the developing countries represented in Baku in addressing global warming, they did offer some encouragement.
“Turbulence”
However, many people’s thoughts during the G20 were centered on Trump’s impending return, along with concerns about climate change, the intensifying conflict in Ukraine, and economic pressures that are causing political instability in some democracies.
By acknowledging that “trillions” of cash were needed to assist underdeveloped nations in combating global warming, the summit gave them encouragement.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a warning, saying that there should be “no escalation of wars, and no fanning of flames,” as the globe entered a new era of “turbulence.” “The world is on a knife edge,” stated Charles Michel, president of the European Council.
Biden has changed US policy to permit Ukraine to employ long-range US missiles to strike deep within Russian territory in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which now involves North Korean forces. Russia has threatened a “appropriate response” in the event that its land is attacked.
“That meant they were operated by US military experts,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters during the conference, adding, “we consider this a new phase in the West’s war against Russia, and we will react.”
He advised Western capitals to learn “all” of Russia’s nuclear doctrine in order to comprehend the dangers, which was perceived as a threat of nuclear escalation.
In light of this, “all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace” in Ukraine were welcomed in the summit statement. However, no reference to Russian aggression was made, as has been the case at prior G20 meetings.
“Coup d’etat”
According to a federal police source, Brazilian police detained four soldiers manning the G20 meeting on Tuesday on suspicion of plotting to kill then-President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a 2022 “coup.”
According to the source, the four “were arrested in Rio, where they were participating in the security operation for the G20 leaders’ meeting.” A police officer was also arrested, the source said.
