World leaders are gathering in Brazil for the G20 Summit, hosted by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as global tensions simmer over ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the recent U.S. election win by former President Donald Trump.
Leaders attending the summit include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending in person and is instead represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The summit, which kicks off today, is expected to address a range of social issues, with Brazil’s president prioritizing the launch of a Global Alliance Against Hunger. The initiative is a key part of Lula’s agenda, as Brazil seeks to bolster efforts to combat global food insecurity.
However, the gathering comes at a time of significant international discord, and achieving consensus on issues such as the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as a proposed global tax on the ultra-wealthy, may prove challenging.
Lula, who assumed office in January, is seeking to restore Brazil’s traditional role as a nonaligned diplomatic player. His leadership emphasizes peace, poverty reduction, and environmental protection. Yet, his foreign policy stances, particularly his controversial remarks on the Gaza conflict, have sparked criticism from some quarters.
As the summit unfolds, the ability of world leaders to navigate these complex issues will be closely watched, with hopes for cooperation tempered by deepening geopolitical divides.
