European Leaders Unite At G20 Summit In South Africa As US Boycott Draws Global Attention

European leaders are preparing for a key meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which begins in South Africa on Saturday, as a rift with the United States over Ukraine continues to deepen.

This year’s summit has drawn world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

But Donald Trump’s absence is casting a long shadow over the event, with his administration saying South Africa’s priorities—such as strengthening global trade cooperation and accelerating climate action—conflict with US policy.

US Boycott and Ukraine Tensions Dominate Summit Talk

Despite the boycott, Trump remained a major point of discussion after revealing a unilateral US proposal to end the war in Ukraine, a plan aligning closely with Russia’s interests.

Following an urgent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that any peace plan required the “joint support and consensus of European partners and NATO allies”.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said leaders would meet on Saturday to reaffirm “that there should be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine”. She added that a follow-up meeting was planned at the EU–Africa Union summit in Angola next week.

Trump has pressured Ukraine to respond quickly to his administration’s 28-point proposal, telling Fox News Radio that “Thursday is, we think, an appropriate time”.

Climate Deadlock and South Africa’s Push for G20 Consensus

The summit is also unfolding as COP30 climate talks in Brazil struggle to reach agreement. Negotiations, scheduled to end on Friday, dragged on amid accusations that petro-states were blocking references to a fossil fuel phaseout.

Despite these challenges, South Africa struck an optimistic tone about securing support for its G20 goals, which include tackling global economic inequalities, easing debt burdens on low-income countries, advancing clean-energy funding and establishing a critical minerals pact.

“As South Africa, we are hoping that we will have the leaders’ declaration adopted, which will set a new and continuing agenda for the world, particularly the G20,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday.

Political negotiators concluded a final draft joint text for leaders to consider, although its contents remain undisclosed. With the US boycott in play, it is unclear whether the summit will issue a traditional statement, especially after Washington warned against any declaration in the G20’s name.

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Ramaphosa, who has pushed back against Trump’s unfounded claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa, was backed by other leaders insisting the G20 remains vital for multilateral cooperation.

“Multilateralism is our best, maybe our only defence against disruption, violence and chaos. And South Africa put multilateralism to work,” European Council president Antonio Costa said at a pre-summit briefing.

Washington confirmed it would only send its chargé d’affaires for the handover ceremony at the end of the summit. The US is set to host the 2026 G20 at a Trump-owned golf club in Florida.

The G20 brings together 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union, representing 85% of global GDP and roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.

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