Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that the world can continue without the United States, emphasizing that the global economic ‘center of gravity’ is shifting. He made these remarks at the G20 summit in South Africa, where the US was absent due to President Donald Trump’s boycott. Carney noted that the summit brought together major economies representing significant portions of the world’s population, GDP, and trade, underscoring a decline in US influence.
The US skipped the meeting, held in Johannesburg, South Africa. US President Donald Trump has accused the country of perpetrating a genocide against white farmers, which he gave as the reason for his absence. Washington also claimed that only a chairman’s summary could be released following the summit because the US was not present. The G20 issued a declaration on Sunday anyway.
The meeting ‘brought together nations representing three-quarters of the world’s population, two-thirds of global GDP and three-quarters of the world’s trade, and that’s without the United States formally attending,’ Carney said on Sunday. ‘It’s a reminder that the center of gravity in the global economy is shifting.’ According to the prime minister, decisions reached by the G20 members during the meeting still carry weight despite the US boycott. He also said Canada sought to strengthen ties with a variety of nations, including South Africa, India, and China.
Russian presidential aide Maksim Oreshkin led the Moscow’s delegation at the summit and hailed it as a success, adding that his team had had ‘a lot of constructive communications’ with ‘friendly nations’ and even received some proposals on economic cooperation and joint projects from ‘unfriendly’ ones.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated ahead of the summit that the G20 ‘is moving forward’ and ‘will not be bullied,’ adding that the US decision to boycott the meeting was ‘their loss.’ These comments reflect a broader trend of nations asserting greater autonomy in global governance, with the G20 serving as a platform for cooperation without direct US involvement.