The G20 summit will test support for Ukraine as countries clash over whether to continue military aid to Kiev or impose a truce in the conflict that started nearly three years ago with Russia’s invasion.
The debate will pit the goals of a ceasefire between G20 hosts Brazil and China with leaders of the G7, the world’s most powerful democracies.
On the eve of the summit, outgoing US President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to attack Russia with long-range missiles supplied by the US.
The weapons are likely destined for the Kursk region in Russia’s west, in hopes of supporting Ukrainian forces in their fight against around 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops massing in the border region.
Biden’s authorization came a day after the Kremlin unleashed a barrage of cruise and ballistic missiles and even a drone attack on Ukraine’s power grid.
The attack lasted several hours, forcing neighboring Poland, a NATO member, to scramble fighter jets.
In Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to take a leading role in defending Ukraine as Mr. Biden prepares to withdraw from the world stage.
Prime Minister Trudeau has been in office for about 10 years, making him the longest-serving G7 leader in Brazil, and he is also hosting next year’s G7 summit.
Ahead of the G20, which officially begins on Monday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued a statement on behalf of the G7 leaders, declaring “unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
“We unite to contribute to the struggle for sovereign freedom, independence, territorial integrity and restoration,” the statement continued.
Prime Minister Trudeau intends to uphold the first pillar of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s “Victory Plan” by urging allies to allow Ukraine full membership in NATO, senior government officials said.
A green light for long-range missile launches would strengthen President Zelenskiy’s efforts to win the war. His victory plan also calls for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, release prisoners of war and return territory annexed by Russia.
“The fact that Russia has chosen to redraw the lines on the map is what concerns people the most around the world,” Trudeau told reporters before arriving in Brazil. “That’s why it’s so important that Ukraine wins and Russia loses in this conflict.”
The prime minister made the remarks at the closing ceremony of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) in Lima, Peru.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to move forward with an alternative plan at the G20, with support from China, that would not return the annexed territory to Ukraine.
Lula is expected to urge international leaders to urge Russia and Ukraine to enter negotiations to end the war, which has lasted more than 1,000 days.
Brazil and China say the ceasefire talks are necessary to prevent military escalation that could provoke the use of weapons of mass destruction or attacks on nuclear power plants.
This joint plan was drafted without Ukraine’s cooperation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the measure would not be “additive” because it would allow Chinese companies to continue “fueling Russia’s war machine.”
The Ukraine World Congress (UWC) has questioned the sincerity of the China-Brazil peace plan.
“How can a country that claims to support Ukraine come up with a peace plan in cooperation with China, Russia’s ally, without consulting Ukraine, which is the clear victim of Russian aggression?” UWC President Paul Mr. Grodd said: “This approach raises serious concerns about the fairness and intent of such plans.”
Ahead of their participation in the G20 summit, Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the edge of APEC.
During that meeting, Biden urged Xi to discourage North Korea from deepening its support for Russia.
North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops over the past few weeks to help Russian President Vladimir Putin protect the Kursk region from advancing Ukrainian forces. It also supplies Russia with artillery and other ammunition.
In a statement explaining Meeting between Mr. Biden and Mr. Xithe White House condemned North Korea’s troop dispatch, calling it a “dangerous escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine with serious consequences for both Europe and peace in the Indo-Pacific.”
If Biden strengthens Ukraine’s arsenal, it could help prevent uncertainty for President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
Before Trump won the U.S. presidential election, he told Zelensky in a meeting that he would resolve the Ukraine war “very quickly” if he regained the presidency. President Trump has not provided details of a solution, but Vice President-elect J.D. Vance outlined a plan that would allow Russia to keep the territory it captured in Ukraine.
President Trump had previously considered cutting aid to Ukraine to force Kiev to negotiate a ceasefire with Moscow.
When referring to the challenge of persuading other countries to continue supporting Ukraine’s plan to defeat Russia, Trudeau was blunt in his response.
“Allies around the world will not be able to replace a complete U.S. withdrawal from support for Ukraine,” he said. “That’s why the conversation about why it’s so important to stand up to Russia’s bullies, why it’s so important to be there to protect the rules-based international order, is happening across our allies, including the United States. It continues.”
With files from Reuters and Associated Press
