By Ayomide Otitoju
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the G20 is “at risk” as the group struggles to find common ground on major global crises, speaking at a summit in South Africa on Saturday that was notably boycotted by the United States.
Macron joined more than two dozen world leaders in Johannesburg for the gathering overshadowed by Washington’s absence and ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and Pretoria.
“The G20 may be coming to the end of a cycle,” Macron told delegates. “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.”
He was referring in part to a new unilateral US proposal to end the war in Ukraine — a plan widely criticised in Europe for aligning with key Russian demands. European leaders held a separate meeting on the sidelines of the summit to discuss counter-proposals.
“There can be no peace in Ukraine without Ukrainians, without respect for their sovereignty,” Macron reiterated.
The G20, comprising 19 countries plus the European Union and African Union, has faced growing difficulty reaching consensus on issues such as humanitarian law and national sovereignty.
Macron urged leaders to recommit to the group’s founding purpose. “The G20 is at risk if we do not collectively re-engage around a few priorities,” he 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.”
