Nov 18: At the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden met to discuss key global issues, including democracy, the rule of law, the economy, climate change, migration, and defense. The meeting took place just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and Biden emphasized the importance of Canadian defense investments and the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty.
The leaders agreed that strengthening democracy and the rule of law is crucial for North America’s prosperity and success. Their conversation followed reports that Biden had authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to target deeper areas of Russia.
In addition to his meeting with Biden, Trudeau spoke at the summit about the importance of gender equality in addressing global poverty and hunger. His office highlighted Canada’s efforts to fund emergency relief and tackle the root causes of hunger in global food systems, stressing the need for reforms in multilateral and development-financing institutions.
Trudeau also met with several other leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Trudeau raised concerns about the growing Chinese investment in Mexico, which could potentially affect trade among North American allies due to the tariffs imposed by Canada and the U.S. on Chinese electric vehicles.
Trudeau’s schedule also included meetings with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
