U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the upcoming G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, citing South Africa’s policies as anti-American. Instead, he is returning to the U.S. after meetings in the Middle East and discussions with Russia on the Ukraine war.
Rubio’s absence highlights tensions between the U.S. and South Africa, which is leading the G20 for the first time. South Africa aims to push for debt relief and climate funding for poorer nations, but Rubio has dismissed its priorities as promoting “DEI and climate change.”
The decision comes after President Trump halted U.S. aid to South Africa, citing concerns over its land policies and foreign relations, including its case against Israel at the UN. While the U.S. will still send a delegation, analysts say its disengagement could weaken multilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, the EU, Russia, and China have backed South Africa’s leadership of the G20.
