It was a no-show for Joe! The American president went missing as the G20 heads of states assembled in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro for a family photo. And wait, you can’t see Canada’s Justin Trudeau either.
I’m not saying it made any difference though! The business went as usual and the crowd of global leaders dispersed.
And then emerged Biden and Trudeau from shadows. They were looking shocked, sad and confused. Both leaders were sad that they missed their last G20 photo. To make up for the missed opportunity, Biden and Trudeau roped Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in and made their own huddle.
The fact that not even a single person on the stage cared to wait for Biden and Trudeau speaks volume of the fact that the world has stopped respecting the US as well Canada under these two clowns.
To put up a face, US officials later said, oh! Biden was busy with some other meeting, the host nation Brazil messed up with the timings and that Biden didn’t want to be photo-ed alongside Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
Moving on! Another interesting thing to note here is that the BRICS leaders occupied the front row, the centre stage, as if they wanted to declare: The BRICS has arrived on the world stage. Host Lula, PM Narendra Modi of India, China’s Xi Jinping and South Africa’s Ramaphosa, all stood strong right in the front row.
The host, Brazil, delivered a strong message here: The global south is the future.
Especially when two BRICS giant India and China are now working to bury the hatchet and start co-operating on trade and border issues.
The BRICS agenda also overshadowed the Western push to use G20 platform to isolate Russia.
At the summit, the U.S. and its allies aimed to include strong language condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. However, this effort was thwarted by Brazil, the host and a BRICS partner to Russia, along with other nations from the Global South. Brazil and friendly nations emphasized maintaining neutrality and inclusivity in the G20, avoiding divisive narrative.
Western leaders pushed for a robust statement against Russia, especially after a significant Russian airstrike on Ukraine and reports of North Korean troop support to Russia. Despite this, the draft of the summit’s joint statement had only broad references to UN principles and the importance of peace in Ukraine and Gaza, avoiding direct mention of Russia.
In Rio, negotiators also struggling to agree on climate financing. Western countries want China and wealthy Middle Eastern nations to contribute to global climate funds. However, Brazil and other Global South nations are pushing back against this idea.
Another of Lula’s big ideas—a 2 per cent tax on the super-rich to raise $250 billion a year to fight poverty—has also hit roadblocks. Argentina’s new right-wing president, Javier Milei, rejected the plan after visiting Trump in Florida. Milei was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump as president-elect.
Brazil’s position reflected a broader challenge within the G20, which comprises a diverse mix of nations, including Russia and China. This diversity makes it difficult to reach a consensus on conflicts like Ukraine, as highlighted in earlier summits, including Bali two years back and New Delhi last year. By steering discussions away from a strong anti-Russia stance, Brazil prioritized unity and the role of the G20 as a platform for global dialogue.