Global leaders at the G20 summit looked to chart a path forward for a world order shaped by US retrenchment.
Washington’s absence loomed large at the gathering in South Africa, where Canada’s prime minister said that the world would move on without the US and that “the center of gravity in the global economy is shifting.”
South Africa cast the G20 as a win for multilateralism on Saturday after leaders agreed to a declaration that Washington opposed.
Still, some cracks emerged, pointing to the US’ substantial influence: Western leaders scrambled to formulate a response to the US-backed peace plan for Ukraine, while sub-groupings of countries clustered to pursue their own priorities, Bloomberg noted.
“The world is reorganizing itself,” Germany’s chancellor said.