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eNCAeNCA22/11/2025
NEUTRAL

Western rift over Ukraine and Trump absence mar G20 summit

Western rift over Ukraine and Trump absence mar G20 summit

Executive Summary

A deepening US-European rift over Ukraine, fueled by US President Donald Trump's boycotted G20 summit in Johannesburg and his unilateral peace plan aligning with Russian goals, dominated the gathering of world leaders. European allies, including France's Macron, Germany's Merz, and the UK's Starmer, held sideline talks to refine the proposal with Ukrainian and NATO input before Trump's Thursday deadline, while COP30 climate negotiations stalled over fossil fuel phaseout resistance. South African host Cyril Ramaphosa championed multilateralism to tackle global tensions and challenges. The US absence signals broader American retreat from international forums ahead of its 2026 G20 hosting.