French foreign minister calls for support of rules-based order at G20 meeting in South Africa

At the G20 meeting in South Africa, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged countries in the global south to support the international rules-based order, emphasizing Ukraine's sovereignty. He stated the key geopolitical divide is between those who uphold the law and those who use force. Barrot rejected accusations of double standards in Western support for Ukraine versus criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. He affirmed France's commitment to addressing all violations of international law, regardless of geographic location. The meeting will proceed without U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who criticized the G20's agenda as anti-American. Instead, a junior diplomat will represent the U.S., which has also opted out of sending its Treasury Secretary to a finance ministers' meeting next week.