G20 foreign ministers gather amid tensions over trade, Ukraine

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa gestures as he delivers his 2025 State of the Nation Address in Cape Town, South Africa, February 6, 2025.

Photo credit: Reuters

Foreign ministers from the G20 top economies met in South Africa on Thursday, amid tensions between members over the Ukraine war, trade disputes and with the top US diplomat staying away owing to a feud with the hosts.

The G20 countries, which represent some 85 percent of global GDP and three quarters of trade, often struggle to see eye to eye, but geopolitical rifts since Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion have rendered it more fractious than ever.