Rubio chairs G20 talks in Atlanta amid deep rifts with Russia and China

The top diplomats from the Group of 20 largest world economies are gathering in Atlanta to address deep divisions over wars, trade, and security. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will chair the session, which runs Friday and Saturday. This meeting sets the groundwork for a G20 leaders summit that President Donald Trump plans to host at his golf club in Miami in December.

The group faces difficult negotiations on several fronts. Key points of contention include the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, U.S. tariffs, and China's actions in the South China Sea. These issues have driven up global fuel costs and created uncertainty in trade. U.S. officials state that their main priority is resolving differences over freedom of navigation. This includes discussions on the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and the South China Sea.

A major complication is the potential for new U.S. military strikes against Iran. The Associated Press reported that U.S. officials have told Middle East countries and regional allies to prepare for renewed strikes after Tuesday's midterm elections. Iran could retaliate, which keeps G20 member Saudi Arabia and other nations on edge. This prospect hangs over the Atlanta discussions.

Russia's presence at the meeting is also causing friction. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia in Atlanta. Some G20 nations are concerned about inviting Russia during its heightened attacks on Ukraine. China will send a deputy foreign minister, while most other countries have sent their top diplomats. Russia's foreign ministry said visa issues for its delegation were resolved at the last minute. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this created the impression that not everyone in Washington was happy about Lavrov attending.

Lavrov plans to use the meeting to push for swift reform of global economic institutions and to promote Russia's vision of a multipolar world. Ian Kelly, a former U.S. ambassador to Georgia, called the invitation politically boneheaded. He noted that the move could cause domestic political problems for Trump days before the midterms and roil Western G20 participants. Kelly said Lavrov's attendance will likely hurt efforts to produce a unified approach on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, was not invited this year. U.S. officials said they made a conscious choice to include only formal members. South Africa, which chaired the G20 last year, is also missing from the invite list due to disputes with the Trump administration. The State Department said Rubio sees the event as a way to advance practical cooperation on shared economic and security challenges. His priority is finding solutions to geopolitical crises that contribute to global economic shocks.

Elaine Dezenski, head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the Atlanta meeting is more of a test than a traditional gathering. She stated that the U.S. must build cooperation with partners even when full member consensus is out of reach. She noted that the Trump administration has shown a willingness to work outside the G20 framework to build coalitions that advance its foreign policy goals.