Trump isn’t at the G-20 summit but he’s dominating the debate
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. RIO DE JANEIRO—When Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula" da Silva called for “more multilateralism" at the opening of the Group of 20 nations summit on Monday, the remark appeared aimed at someone who wasn’t in the room: Donald Trump. Many leaders from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa at the G-20 summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru last week made clear their alarm at prospects for a sharp U.S.
turn inward on trade, health and environmental policy with Trump’s looming return to the presidency. “Isolation, protectionism and trade wars only lead to recession, conflict and poverty," said Gen. Luong Cuong, Vietnam’s new president.
“Now more than ever, we need to eliminate the mindset of ‘one side wins, the other loses’ and not allow nationalism to distort policy." President Biden didn’t mention Trump in remarks at a G-20 session on climate change on Tuesday, but he urged leaders who shared his belief in multilateral solutions to global problems not to back down—even though he will soon be gone from the world stage. “History is watching us," Biden said. “I urge us to keep the faith and keep going." It was a tough sell, even to those who agreed with him.
Some leaders seemed more intent on signaling to Trump that they were open to cutting deals that spare their economies and established defense arrangements from too much disruption. Others sought to remind the president-elect that their countries gave more to the U.S. in the form of investments than they cost Washington in overseas alliance commitments and other favorite Trump targets.
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