Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney asserts U.S. should not overestimate its global influence
At the G20 summit held in South Africa, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has emphasized that the United States should not overestimate its role in the global economic landscape. Carney noted that the economic ‘center of gravity’ is shifting away from Washington, which he said was evident despite the U.S. absence from the summit.
The U.S. skipped the meeting, hosted in Johannesburg, due to President Donald Trump’s accusation that South Africa was perpetrating a genocide against white farmers. Trump’s decision to boycott the summit has raised questions about the U.S.’s role in global economic cooperation. However, Carney pointed out that the summit still managed to bring together nations representing three-quarters of the world’s population, two-thirds of global GDP, and three-quarters of global trade, underscoring that the U.S. absence did not diminish the event’s significance.
Carney also highlighted Canada’s efforts to strengthen its relationships with a variety of nations, including South Africa, India, and China, as part of its strategy to position itself in a rapidly changing global economic landscape. The summit’s outcomes, according to Carney, demonstrate that significant economic decisions can be made without U.S. involvement, suggesting a potential shift in global power dynamics.
Russian presidential aide Maksim Oreshkin praised the summit as a success, noting that the Moscow delegation had ‘a lot of constructive communications’ with both ‘friendly nations’ and even received proposals for economic cooperation and joint projects from ‘unfriendly’ ones. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa echoed this sentiment, stating that the G20 was ‘moving forward’ and would not be ‘bullied’ by the U.S. boycott, calling the decision a ‘loss’ for the United States.