Churchill and Roosevelt brought different objectives

Churchill's central aim was to bring American power further into the struggle and improve the prospects of defeating Germany. Roosevelt wanted British war aims aligned with his vision for the peace, particularly avoiding another punitive Versailles settlement. Their overlapping interests made compromise possible without resolving every disagreement over the postwar order. The charter's informal status and uncertain signed text fit the interpretation that it was a useful public expression attached to a broader strategic meeting rather than a conventional treaty.