G20 ‘at risk’, struggles to resolve global crises: Macron

JOHANNESBURG: The G20 group of major world economies is “at risk” as it struggles to tackle international crises, French President Emmanuel Macron told a summit boycotted by the United States Saturday.

Macron was among two dozen world leaders at South Africa’s G20 summit marked by the absence of President Donald Trump, who is at loggerheads with Pretoria on a range of issues.

“The G20 may be coming to the end of a cycle,” the French leader told the gathering in Johannesburg. 

“We are living in a moment of geopolitics in which we are struggling to resolve major crises together around this table, including with members who are not present today,” Macron said.

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He referred specifically to a new unilateral US plan to end the war in Ukraine that accepts some of Russia’s hardline demands.

European leaders in Johannesburg met on the sidelines of the G20 to discuss counter-proposals.

“There can be no peace in Ukraine without Ukrainians, without respect for their sovereignty,” Macron repeated.

The G20 is made up of 19 countries, including Russia, as well as the European Union and African Union regional groupings.

It was struggling to establish common ground on issues such as humanitarian law and sovereignty, Macron said.

World leaders needed to acknowledge that “the G20 is at risk if we do not collectively re-engage around a few priorities,” Macron said.

“We must absolutely demonstrate that we have concrete actions to re-engage this forum and provide responses for our economies collectively around this table,” Macron said.