Brazil Hosts G20 Summit Amid Global Tensions and Trump’s Return, Focus Shifts to Hunger Relief

RIO DE JANEIRO– Brazil is hosting the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday and Tuesday, but expectations for a strong geopolitical agreement are low. The summit is overshadowed by ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump’s recent election victory in the United States.

While global tensions are high, particularly with the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, experts predict the summit will focus on more pressing social issues, with Brazil advocating for an international commitment to fighting hunger. Brazilian officials have worked hard to ensure that hunger eradication remains a top priority, though a final declaration is expected to be less focused on military conflicts and more on social goals.

Cristiane Lucena Carneiro, an international relations professor at the University of Sao Paulo, noted that the current international climate makes it difficult to reach a strong consensus on geopolitical issues. “Given the seriousness of the conflicts and the complexity of the political environment, expectations for a substantive declaration are tempered,” she said.

While some may hope for a unified stance on the wars, the summit is likely to produce a document highlighting global cooperation on poverty reduction and hunger, which remains a significant priority for Brazil’s leadership.