Macron warns G20 faces uncertainty as leaders struggle to address global conflicts

French President, Emmanuel Macron, has cautioned that the G20 risks losing its relevance as the bloc grapples unsuccessfully with mounting global crises.

His remarks came during the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday, a gathering notably overshadowed by the absence of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose strained relations with South Africa have widened diplomatic rifts.

Addressing fellow leaders, Macron said the consortium of major economies appeared to be “approaching the end of a cycle,” pointing to deep divisions and an inability to present unified responses to urgent geopolitical challenges.

“We are living in a geopolitical moment where, even around this table, we are struggling to resolve major crises,” he said.

Macron noted that the challenge was compounded by the absence of key players, a veiled reference to the U.S. delegation’s decision not to attend.

The French leader also pushed back against Washington’s newly proposed unilateral roadmap for ending the war in Ukraine, an approach he said bowed to several of Russia’s hardest-line demands.

European leaders held closed-door consultations on the sidelines of the summit in an effort to craft a counter-proposal.

“Peace in Ukraine cannot be defined without the Ukrainians themselves,” Macron emphasised, reaffirming Europe’s insistence on full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Macron warned that the G20, comprised of 19 countries along with the European Union and African Union, had recently struggled to find agreement on essential issues, including humanitarian law and territorial sovereignty.

“The G20 is at risk if we do not collectively re-engage around a few priorities,” he told the summit participants.

He stressed that the group must demonstrate tangible progress if it hopes to regain momentum and maintain credibility.

“We must show that this forum can produce concrete actions and collective solutions for our economies,” Macron said, urging renewed commitment before fractures within the bloc deepen further.

The Johannesburg summit continued as member states attempt to bridge sharp divides over global security, wartime diplomacy, and the shifting balance of international power.