G20 summit calls for more aid to Gaza and an end to the war in Ukraine

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Leaders of the world's 20 major economies called for a global pact to combat hunger, more aid for war-torn Gaza and an end to hostilities in the Mideast and Ukraine, issuing a joint declaration Monday that was heavy on generalities but short of details on how to accomplish those goals.

The joint statement was endorsed by group members but fell short of complete unanimity. It also called for a future global tax on billionaires and for reforms allowing the eventual expansion of the United Nation Security Council beyond its five current permanent members.

At the start of the three-day meeting which formally ends Wednesday, experts doubted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva could convince the assembled leaders to hammer out any agreement at all in a gathering rife with uncertainty over the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, and heightened global tensions over wars in the Mideast and Ukraine.

Argentina challenged some of the language in initial drafts and was the one country that did not endorse the complete document.

“Although generic, it is a positive surprise for Brazil,” said Thomas Traumann, an independent political consultant and former Brazilian minister. “There was a moment when there was a risk of no declaration at all. Despite the caveats, it is a good result for Lula.”

Taking place just over a year after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the declaration referred to the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza and the escalation in Lebanon,” stressing the urgent need to expand humanitarian assistance and better protect civilians.

“Affirming the Palestinian right to self-determination, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where Israel and a Palestinian State live side by side in peace,” it said.

It did not mention Israel’s suffering or of the 100 or so hostages still held by Hamas. Israel isn’t a G20 member. The war has so far killed more than 43,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials, and more than 3,500 people in Lebanon following Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

The omitted acknowledgment of Israel's distress appeared to run contrary to U.S. President Joe Biden’s consistent backing of Israel's right to defend itself. It's something Biden always notes in public, even when speaking about the deprivation of Palestinians. During a meeting with G20 leaders before the declaration was hammered home, Biden expressed his view that Hamas is solely to blame for the war and called on fellow leaders to “increase the pressure on Hamas” to accept a cease-fire deal.

Biden's decision to ease restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range U.S. missiles to allow that country to strike more deeply inside Russia also played into the meetings,

“The United States strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around this table in my view should, as well,” Biden said during the summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the meeting , and instead sent his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. Putin has avoided such summits after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant that obliges member states to arrest him.

The G20 declaration highlighted the human suffering in Ukraine while calling for peace, without naming Russia.

“The declaration avoids pointing the finger at the culprits,” said Paulo Velasco, an international relations professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. “That is, it doesn’t make any critical mention of Israel or Russia, but it highlights the dramatic humanitarian situations in both cases.”

The entire declaration lacks specificity, Velasco added.

“It is very much in line with what Brazil hoped for ... but if we really analyze it carefully, it is very much a declaration of intent. It is a declaration of good will on various issues, but we have very few concrete, tangible measures.”

The declaration did call for a possible tax on global billionaires, which Lula supports. Such a tax would affect about 3,000 people around the world, including about 100 in Latin América.

The clause was included despite opposition from Argentina. So was another promoting gender equality, said Brazilian and other officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Argentina signed the G20 declaration, bit also had issues with references to the U.N.’s 2030 sustainable development agenda. Its right-wing president, Javier Milei, has referred to the agenda as “a supranational program of a socialist nature.” It also objected to calls for regulating hate speech on social media, which Milei says infringes on national sovereignty, and to the idea that governments should do more to fight hunger.

Milei has often adopted a Trump-like role as a spoiler in multilateral talks hosted by his outspoken critic, Lula.

Much of the declaration focuses on eradicating hunger — a priority for Lula.

Brazil’s government stressed that Lula’s launch of the global alliance against hunger and poverty on Monday was as important as the final G20 declaration. As of Monday, 82 nations had signed onto the plan, Brazil’s government said. It is also backed by organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A demonstration Sunday on Rio’s Copacabana beach featured 733 empty plates spread across the sand to represent the 733 million people who went hungry in 2023, according to United Nations data.

Viviana Santiago, a director at the anti-poverty nonprofit Oxfam, praised Brazil for using its G20 presidency “to respond to people’s demands worldwide to tackle extreme inequality, hunger and climate breakdown, and particularly for rallying action on taxing the super-rich.”

“Brazil has lit a path toward a more just and resilient world, challenging others to meet them at this critical juncture,” she said in a statement.

Leaders pledged to work for “transformative reform” of the U.N. Security Council so that it aligns “with the realities and demands of the 21st century, makes it more representative, inclusive, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable.”

Lula has been calling for reform of Security Council since his first two terms in power, from 2003 to 2010, without gaining much traction. Charged with maintaining international peace and security, its original 1945 structure has not changed. Five dominant powers at the end of World War II have veto power — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — while 10 countries from different regions serve rotating two-year terms.

Virtually all countries agree that nearly eight decades after the United Nations was established, the Security Council should be expanded to reflect the 21st century world and include more voices. The central quandary and biggest disagreement remains how to do that. The G20 declaration doesn’t answer that question.

“We call for an enlarged Security Council composition that improves the representation of the underrepresented and unrepresented regions and groups, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean,” the declaration said.

The United States announced shortly before a U.N. summit in September that it supports two new permanent seats for African countries, without veto power, and a first-ever non-permanent seat for a small island developing nation. But the Group of Four – Brazil, Germany, India and Japan – support each other’s bids for permanent seats. And the larger Uniting for Consensus group of a dozen countries including Pakistan, Italy, Turkey and Mexico wants additional non-permanent seats with longer terms.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Rio de Janeiro, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Isabel DeBre in La Paz, Bolivia contributed.

A soldier patrols the perimeters of the Museum of Modern Art, the venue of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto attends the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Women walk past a giant coin that reads in Portuguese "Tax billionaires, tax polluters, $$$ for climate" on Leblon beach as part of a protest to draw attention to climate issues on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Dhavid Normando)

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, left, and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol attend the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Argentina's President Javier Milei, left, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepare for a group photo at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A Brazilian Navy ship patrols off Copacabana beach during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Dhavid Normando)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

People hold Brazilian and Chinese flags during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

People wave Chinese and Brazilian flags as they wait for China's President Xi Jinping for him to drive past Leblon beach to his hotel during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

China's President Xi Jinping, left, talks with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Joe Biden, center, and other G20 leaders attend the G20 Summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Eric Lee/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum talk during the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Brazilian soldiers guard the streets during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A demonstrator shows solidarity with the Palestinian people as leaders meet at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud talk during the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Joe Biden, from left, walks with Henrique Pereira, director of the National Institute for Research in the Amazon, granddaughter Natalie Biden, second right, and daughter Ashley Biden, right, during a tour of the Museu da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Activists from a Brazilian Indigenous movement hold cutouts of Chinese President Xi Jinping, from left, President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a protest aimed at drawing the attention on the global climate crisis to leaders attending the upcoming G20 Summit, at Botafogo Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Argentina's President Javier Milei, left, and France's President Emmanuel Macron talk during a group photo at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Demonstrators show support and solidarity with the Palestinian people as world leaders hold the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Brazilian honor guard wait for the start of a welcoming ceremony prior to the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attend the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Plates marked with crosses, symbolizing people suffering from hunger worldwide, are displayed at Copacabana Beach during a protest aimed at drawing the attention of leaders attending the upcoming G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Dhavid Normando)

Backdropped by Sugar Loaf mountain, China's President Xi Jinping, center, walks after joining a group photo during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Joe Biden, from front left, Indian's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil's President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and other G20 leaders listen during the G20 Summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Eric Lee/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

France's President Emmanuel Macron, top, and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talk during the G20 Summit leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Rio de Janeiro city on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, who will host the G20 Summit next Monday and Tuesday. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives late for the group photo during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

G20 leaders take part in a Family Photo at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were not present for the photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Leaders attending the G20 Summit pose for a group photo in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mauricio Pochettino had a message for American players after a 5-2 aggregate win over Jamaica gave the three-time defending champion United States a berth in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals.

“My advice is look after yourself. We need to be a stronger in March,” Pochettino said. “We need to be desperate to arrive to March and to be all together. That is a sign that we improve a lot and then we start to feel that we are a real group of people, that we are going to fight for something special.”

Christian Pulisic scored twice in the first half, Tim Weah got a goal in his return to the U.S. national team from a red card and the Americans beat Jamaica 4-2 on Monday night in the quarterfinal series finale.

“We came out really hot,” Pulisic said. “We should definitely feel good after these results. We’re obviously learning a lot of new things obviously with the new coach.”

Pochettino has led the team in two windows since replacing Gregg Berhalter following first-round elimination at the Copa America. Just six camps with the top player pool remain before Pochettino picks his 2026 World Cup roster, the next ahead of a March 20 semifinal at Inglewood, California.

“Building our way up for the World Cup at home. I think that’s the main goal,” Weah said. “I think we're on the right track.”

The U.S. dominated with 68% possession and a 16-9 advantage in shots. The Americans also qualified for next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Jamaica will have to play in qualifying.

Pulisic put the U.S. ahead in the 13th minute when he ran onto a long, looping pass from Weston McKennie and one-timed the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Andre Blake. Pulisic doubled the lead off a pass from McKennie that Tanner Tessmann dummied in the 33rd minute. Pulisic’s shot deflected in off Di’Shon Bernard for his 33rd international goal and sixth multigoal game.

Ricardo Pepi, who scored off a Pulisic pass in the opening leg in Kingston on Thursday, boosted the lead to 3-0 in the 42nd with his 13th goal, a right-foot shot for his first international goal from outside the penalty area.

Demarai Gray scored the first of his two goals for Jamaica with a volley past goalkeeper Matt Turner in the 53rd. Weah, who hit a post in the fourth minute, put the U.S. ahead 4-1 in the 56th when he settled a pass from Yunus Musah and sent a shot just under the crossbar for his seventh goal.

Gray scored off a rebound in the 68th for his seventh goal and second brace, after Turner parried Renaldo Cephas’ initial shot.

Weah started in place of injured Johnny Cardoso after completing a two-game suspension for a red card against Panama in the Copa America last summer. That was the only change made by Pochettino from the first leg.

Defender Tim Ream, at 37 the oldest player on the roster, captained the Americans in his hometown of St. Louis.

Jamaica coach Steve McLaren, a former England manager, told the media that star Michail Antonio wasn’t available because he lost his passport and couldn’t get a U.S. visa.

Panama reached the semifinals, beating Costa Rica 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw in Panama City. César Blackman scored in the 13th minute and José Rodrí­guez in the third minute of first-half stoppage time for the hosts. Los Ticos got goals from Alejandro Bran in the 24th and Adrián Martínez in the 72nd. Panama finished a man short after Fidel Escobar's 80th-minute red card.

On Tuesday, Mexico is at home trying to overturn a 2-0 first-leg loss at Honduras, and Canada is home with a 1-0 lead against Suriname.

The Americans open their 2025 schedule with a friendly against Venezuela on Jan. 18 at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The game is not on a FIFA international fixture date, so the teams will be without most Europe-based regulars.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

United States' Tim Weah, right, is congratulated by teammate Yunus Musah (6) after scoring during the second half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Tim Weah celebrates after scoring during the second half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Tim Weah (21) celebrates after scoring during the second half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Ricardo Pepi (9) and Jamaica's Tyreek Magee (18) chase after a loose ball during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jamaica's Demarai Gray and United States' Tanner Tessmann (18) battle for the ball during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jamaica's Amari'i Bell passes between United States' Weston McKennie (8) and Joe Scally (22) during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jamaica's Tayvon Gray (12) and United States' Ricardo Pepi (9) battle for the ball during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jamaica's Di'Shon Bernard (6) and United States' Ricardo Pepi (9) chase after a loose ball during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jamaica's Leon Bailey, right, chases after a loose ball as United States' Antonee Robinson (5) and Tim Weah (21) defend during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino watches from the sideline during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Joe Scally (22) passes around Jamaica's Demarai Gray (10) during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Yunus Musah (6) and Jamaica's Amari'i Bell (4) battle for the ball during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates after scoring during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

United States' Christian Pulisic, right, is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the first half in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg soccer match against Jamaica Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)