- Russia’s war in Ukraine, climate change, the economy and the outcomes for developing countries will be priority issues for the president when he meets other world leaders.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit for the second year in a row, as will Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- The Group of 20 represents 85% of the world’s gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and two-thirds of the world’s population.
US President Joe Biden looks on as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a meeting with top officials and CEOs of US and Indian companies, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on 23 June 2023.
Brendan Smialowski | AFP | fake images
President Joe Biden he will travel to New Delhi, India, to meet the world’s largest economies at the Group of 20 summit and once again flex his muscles as chief diplomat.
Throughout his presidency, Biden has preached a gospel of diplomacy and multilateralism, assuring America’s friends and rivals that the rule of law and alliances can serve as a bulwark against the rise of autocracy.
“America’s commitment to the G20 has not wavered, and we hope this G20 summit demonstrates that the world’s major economies can work together even in difficult times,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday.
The Group of 20 represents 85% of the world’s gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and two-thirds of the world’s population. Russia’s war in Ukraine, climate change, the economy and the outcomes for developing countries will be priority issues for the president when he meets with other world leaders, Sullivan said.
Biden I almost did not attend the in-person event after his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, tested positive for Covid-19 over Labor Day weekend. The president will continue his trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday before traveling to Alaska to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The leaders of two prominent members, Russia and China, will not attend. russian president Vladimir Putin will skip the summit for the second year in a row, just like the chinese president Xi Jinping. Both leaders will send other officials in their absence.
A man walks past an installation on a walkway ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India on September 6, 2023.
Francisco Mascarenhas | Reuters
This will be the first G20 summit that a Chinese president has missed since its inaugural event in 2008; He attended virtually during the coronavirus pandemic. The conference has long been touted as a possible meeting point for Biden and Xi, who last met at the G20 summit in Indonesia in November. Biden said on Sunday that he was “disappointed” by Xi’s decision, but added that he “could see it” without elaborating. Xi attended the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month.
China has not stated why Xi will not attend, but host country India and China are in deep tension over a 2020 incident on their Himalayan border that resulted in 24 deaths.
Putin has not left Russia since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Even without Russia’s leader at the summit, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is likely to remain at the forefront of discussions.
Like last year, Russia’s war in Ukraine is likely to spark disagreements among members and make it difficult to sign a joint statement, especially if Xi is not involved. The group could only reach a consensus on a joint statement in Indonesia condemning the war with careful wording. Failure to do so would be the first time the group has not issued a joint statement.
Sullivan said that Biden will once again call for a peaceful resolution of the war.
“The reality is that Russia’s illegal war has had devastating social and economic consequences and the poorest countries on the planet are bearing the brunt,” Sullivan said. “As he has done before, President Biden will call for a just and lasting peace, founded on respect for international law.”