ATLANTA (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of 20 largest world economies wrapped up two days of talks Saturday without reaching consensus on several critical global security issues after divisions, notably over Russia's war with Ukraine, visibly overshadowed the start of the Atlanta meeting and impacted its outcome, too.
As a result, the group did not release a joint communique but relied on a chairman’s statement summarizing the talks that Secretary of State Marco Rubio released after the meetings closed.
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That statement made no mention of any agreements reached. Rather, it referred to a list of priorities, from energy and food security to freedom of navigation, that G20 members determined were important to solve.
“I wouldn’t pretend to you today that we are close to finding universally accepted solutions to these problems," Rubio told reporters at a news conference marking the end of the meetings.
“But,” he said, “I do think that among the G-20 represented here are countries that are working together to solve some of them, particularly in the realm of supply chains and critical minerals.”
Rubio had said the first day of the session was “very productive.” On Saturday, he hosted sideline talks with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan before leading the final G20 event that focused on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red, Black and South China seas.
“I made clear to our partners that secure supply chains are essential for growth,” Rubio said in a social media post on X. “Critical trade routes including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb Strait must remain secure and open to commerce. And we must continue to strengthen and expand critical mineral supply chains to protect our future.”
At a reception for G20 participants Friday night, Rubio sounded optimistic. "Together, I think that we are mapping a vibrant, dynamic, and bold economic future, one that will pioneer new horizons for the entire world,” he said.
Rubio had opened the talks Friday with an appeal for unity, but then canceled the traditional group photo of the foreign ministers. European diplomats objected to the inclusion of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to boycott or walk out of the snapshot.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who was representing his country for the first time as a guest at a G20 meeting, said he was not surprised by the failure to reach consensus. “We have wars going on, and we have participants in those wars around the table, so it’s very difficult to agree on a common line,” he said.
Other participants in the meetings, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private talks, said all had agreed to try to overcome their differences despite the long odds and to work to make next month’s summit of G20 leaders hosted by President Donald Trump in Florida a success.
These diplomats said a chairman's statement had long been the plan because of the deep differences among the attendees, including over the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, U.S. tariffs and Chinese moves in the South China Sea. All have contributed to spikes in the global cost of fuel as well as uncertainty about trade.
They described the opening session as cordial but said Russia’s position on Ukraine was unyielding — as was its opposition to Poland’s membership in the G20. They said the disagreements also included the Trump administration’s decision not to invite G20 member South Africa over the objections of others.
Disagreements between even like-minded partners within the G20 were also on display. A joint statement released after Rubio's talks with the Asia-Pacific ministers referred six times to the importance of "Super Intelligence (SI)(asterisk)” in driving economic growth.
The six asterisks led to a footnote making clear that “in Australia, India, and Japan, ‘Super Intelligence’ refers to ’artificial intelligence.” Trump renamed “artificial intelligence” at the U.N. General Assembly in September, saying the phrase sounded fake, and ordered the U.S. government to refer to it as “Super Intelligence.” No other country has taken such a step.
Before the meeting began, some G20 countries had expressed concern that the U.S. invited Russia during its heightened attacks on Ukraine, especially after Trump pushed ties with Ukraine to new lows by waiving fresh sanctions on Moscow and temporarily limiting logistical and intelligence assistance.
The State Department, however, announced Friday that it had approved a proposed $2.1 billion sale of Patriot air defense interceptors for Ukraine.
Rubio defended the decision to invite Lavrov to Atlanta and Putin to the summit, saying it would be impossible to peacefully resolve the crisis without speaking to both sides. And yet he offered a sober assessment of the current situation.
“I don’t know if negotiated peace is achievable in Ukraine,” he said Saturday. “That’s what we’re trying to find out, but I don’t think anyone here is claiming that we’re on the verge of a negotiated settlement.”
Lavrov said Moscow would not allow a situation in which Ukraine poses a “military threat to legitimate security interests of the Russian Federation."
Lavrov has traveled only infrequently to NATO member states since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and resulting severe sanctions were imposed on Moscow. It is unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept Trump’s invitation to attend the summit at Trump's Miami golf club in December.
Also hanging over the G20 meeting was the prospect of new U.S. military intervention in Iran. That has put the region, including G20 member Saudi Arabia, on edge. Rubio met on Friday with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country has been a key mediator.
The Associated Press has reported that U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military strikes against Iran after U.S. elections Tuesday and the possibility that Iran will retaliate.
