Ramaphosa concludes G7 summit visit, no meeting with Trump

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa concluded his visit to Canada on Tuesday. Canada had hosted the G7 summit, during which non-G7 members like South Africa attended the G7 Leaders' Outreach Summit, focusing on issues such as energy security.

According to the South African presidency, Ramaphosa strengthened ties with host nation Canada and worked on strategic alignment with other G7 members.

Although highly anticipated and floated by Ramaphosa prior to the summit, a bilateral meeting between the South African leader and US president Trump did not take place.

The meeting would have come as a potential opportunity to improve relations after a disastrous White House visit by Ramaphosa in May, during which Trump accused South Africa without proof of committing a "genocide" against white South Africans.

But Trump left the summit a day early, citing the explosive situation in the Middle East as the reason for his return to the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in his final remarks Tuesday evening that Trump’s early exit was about the “extraordinary” situation in the Middle East, not anything that occurred during the summit. “There was no problem,” Canada's prime minister said. “Mr. Trump felt it was better to be in Washington, and I can understand that.”

A plethora of international crises

Six of the Group of Seven leaders discussed Russia's war in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran conflict but failed to reach major agreements on those and many other top issues — closing a summit that was forced to try and sHihow how the wealthy nations’ club might still shape global policy despite the early departure of US President Donald Trump.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan were joined during Tuesday's final sessions by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

The remaining leaders agreed to jointly attempt to combat what they called non-market policies that could jeopardize global access to critical minerals. They also pledged to limit the downsides of artificial intelligence on jobs and the environment, while still embracing the potential of the “technological revolution.”

There was consensus on other issues, but though the summit was meant to showcase unity on top global concerns, no joint statement on the conflict in Ukraine was released.

Zelenskyy had been set to meet with Trump while world leaders were gathering in the Canadian Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis, but that was scrapped. The US also previously signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources.

The summit also was largely overshadowed by a showdown over Iran’s nuclear program that could escalate. Israel launched an aerial bombardment campaign against Iran, and Iran has hit back with missiles and drones.