Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in South Africa on Thursday for a two-day gathering of the Group of 20 nations, where leading European diplomats are anticipated to reaffirm their backing for Ukraine, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio notably chose to skip the event.
Lavrov’s visit to Johannesburg coincides with a significant bilateral dialogue between the United States and Russia aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which took place just two days prior.
This dialogue excluded U.S. European allies and Ukraine from the discussions.
U.S. President Donald Trump further complicated the West’s stance by criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and inaccurately attributing blame for the war to Ukraine, which is approaching its third anniversary next week.
Rubio opted out of the G20 meeting due to rising tensions with South Africa over policies that the Trump administration has labeled as anti-American.
The U.S. will be represented by Acting Ambassador to South Africa Dana Brown. The G20 comprises 19 of the world’s largest economies along with the European Union.
Participants on Thursday included EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
As South Africa holds the G20 presidency this year, it aims for the meeting to address pressing issues for the developing world, such as debt restructuring and climate change.
The agenda includes discussions on the global geopolitical landscape.
Britain, France, Germany, and the EU have all committed to ongoing support for Ukraine and have condemned Russia’s aggression, while also expressing a desire to be involved in any ceasefire negotiations.
The G20 meeting in South Africa presents European nations with an opportunity to present a unified front regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the peace process, despite their internal divisions.
The G20 aims to unite both developed and developing nations to establish a framework for global economic stability and enhance collaboration.
However, the group frequently faces challenges in achieving a significant consensus due to the conflicting interests of the U.S., Europe, Russia, and China.
During the opening address of the meeting, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of this gathering as a chance for the G20 to engage in “serious dialogue” amid a global landscape marked by geopolitical tensions, warfare, climate change, pandemics, and food and energy insecurity.
“There is a lack of consensus among major powers, including in the G20, on how to respond to these issues,” Ramaphosa stated.
Senator Rubio’s choice to boycott this week’s meeting, along with his intention to skip the main G20 summit in South Africa in November, poses a risk to the G20’s overall effectiveness.
Additionally, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced he would not attend the upcoming G20 finance ministers meeting in South Africa due to prior commitments in Washington.
This decision has been interpreted as a further sign of the Trump administration’s disregard for global institutions and international cooperation, favoring an “America First” approach.
Recently, the Trump administration imposed an executive order that halted all U.S. aid and assistance to South Africa, citing the country’s perceived anti-American stance.
This order condemned South Africa for accusing U.S. ally Israel of genocide in Gaza during an ongoing case at the United Nations’ highest court, interpreting it as tacit support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The administration also pointed to South Africa’s ties with Iran and the Communist Party of China as additional concerns.
Rubio has dismissed South Africa’s G20 presidency theme of “solidarity, equality, and sustainability,” labeling it as a focus on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and climate change.
He expressed on X, “My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer resources.”
South Africa has dismissed claims that Rubio’s absence is negatively impacting its G20 presidency.
On the eve of the Johannesburg meeting, Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola stated that the U.S. is not fully boycotting South Africa’s G20 involvement.
