The United States has clarified that it will not participate in this weekend’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, countering remarks made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa suggesting otherwise. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Washington is not taking part in official talks at the summit.
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Leavitt expressed displeasure at Ramaphosa’s comments, saying the language used by the South African president was “not appreciated” by the US president or his team. Earlier, Ramaphosa had indicated that the US had a “change of mind” and wanted to take part in some capacity.
The US had initially decided to boycott the November 22-23 summit due to disagreements over the priorities set by South Africa, which holds the G20’s rotating presidency this year. Ramaphosa noted that discussions with the US are ongoing to clarify what any participation would entail, but emphasized that the late notice makes the situation complicated.
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The G20 summit brings together leaders of the world’s major economies to discuss global economic policies, but Washington’s absence highlights continuing tensions over the summit’s agenda.