San Francisco Frontiers - Geopolitical fractures and Ukraine worries sap G20 summit

European leaders attending the G20 summit -- the first held in Africa -- huddled on its sidelines to push back at a unilateral plan by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war in Ukraine on terms favouring Russia.

In a joint statement issued with Canada and Japan, they said Trump's plan needs "additional work" as it would leave Ukraine "vulnerable". They added that some of its points required "the consent of EU and NATO members".

Speaking at the opening of the summit, one of the statement's signatories, French President Emmanuel Macron, said: "We are struggling to resolve major crises together around this table."

He warned that, given fissures in international cooperation, "the G20 may be coming to the end of a cycle".

"There's no doubt, the road ahead is tough," agreed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer -- who also signed the statement -- adding: "We need to find ways to play a constructive role again today in the face of the world challenges."

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said "unilateralism and protectionism are rampant" and "many people are pondering what exactly is happening to global solidarity."

But the summit's host, President Cyril Ramaphosa, argued the G20 remained key for international cooperation.

"The G20 underscores the value of the relevance of multilateralism. It recognises that the challenges that we face can only be resolved through cooperation, collaboration and partnership," Ramaphosa said.

- Concern for Ukraine -

The G20 comprises 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union, and accounts for 85 percent of the world's GDP and two-thirds of its population.

The Johannesburg summit was undermined by the American boycott, and China's Li stood in for an absent President Xi Jinping, while Russia sent a Kremlin official, Maxim Oreshkin, instead of President Vladimir Putin, who is wanted under an International Criminal Court warrant.

The leaders present adopted a summit declaration covering climate, energy, debt sustainability and a critical-minerals pact -- along with a joint call for a "just" peace in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and the "Occupied Palestinian Territory".

Following the opening ceremony, Starmer, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rushed into a meeting to discuss Trump's plan for Ukraine, joined soon after by other leaders from Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan.

Afterwards all of them, except Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, issued a statement saying the "draft" US plan had some "important elements" but "will require additional work".

"Borders must not be changed by force," they said, adding they were "also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine's armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack".

- 'Progress' sought -

European Council President Antonio Costa said on X the leaders of all 27 EU nations would hold a follow-up meeting on Monday, on the sidelines of a European Union-African Union summit in Angola.

Security officials from Britain, France and Germany were to meet US and Ukrainian counterparts on Sunday in Switzerland to seek "progress" on the US plan, both Starmer and Macron said.

Macron, speaking to journalists, said a "coalition of the willing" of some 30 nations backing Ukraine would on Tuesday follow up with a video call to coordinate and "to take new initiatives".

Trump has said he wants Kyiv to accept his 28-point proposals -- which involve ceding territory to Russia and cutting the size of Ukraine's military -- by Thursday.

But it said it would send the US charge d'affaires at its embassy in South Africa on Sunday to accept the handover of the next G20 presidency.

Trump has said he intends to hold the 2026 summit at a Florida golf club that he owns.

C.Lewis--SFF