A diplomatic showdown may be brewing as U.S. President Donald Trump signals he could skip this year’s G20 summit in South Africa. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he might send someone else in his place, citing what he called “very bad policies” by the South African government.
Trump may skip G20 summit in South Africa amid rising tensions
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, from front row left, China's President Xi Jinping, and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pose with other G20 leaders.
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AP
Trump has long criticized South Africa’s domestic and foreign policy decisions, including its land reform plans and its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. That case accuses the U.S. ally of genocide over its military actions in Gaza.
Earlier this year, Trump slashed financial assistance to South Africa through an executive order. He also confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House in May with false claims of white genocide and forced land seizures.
Tensions have only grown. Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting earlier in the year. And Washington has expressed concern over South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment policies, which aim to correct centuries of racial inequality.
President Ramaphosa has urged Trump to attend, saying his country’s policies are misunderstood and misrepresented. But with relations increasingly strained, America’s seat at the G20 summit may be filled by someone else.