The United States and South Africa got into a testy exchange on Thursday about the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend, after South Africa suggested President Trump had shifted his stance on sending a U.S. representative to the gathering.
South Africa’s president said on Thursday the United States had asked to participate in the G20, contradicting Mr. Trump’s earlier suggestion that America had planned to boycott.
South Africa, the host of this year’s G20, received a notice from the United States “about a change of mind about participating in one shape, form or other in the summit,” President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said during a news conference.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the administration planned to send its acting ambassador in South Africa, Marc D. Dillard, but only to participate in a ceremony at the end of the summit.
With the United States hosting next year’s gathering, Mr. Dillard would receive “that send off at the end of the event,” she said, but would not “participate in official talks.”
During the White House news briefing on Thursday, Ms. Leavitt also accused Mr. Ramaphosa of “running his mouth.”
Mr. Ramaphosa had said it was a positive development that the United States would participate in the G20. “The United States, being the biggest economy in the world, needs to be here,” he said. “So it’s pleasing to hear that there is a change of approach.”
But after the comments from Ms. Leavitt, the South African president’s spokesman wrote on social media that Mr. Ramaphosa would not hand over the G20 presidency to an acting U.S. ambassador.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump said that no U.S. official would attend the meeting in Johannesburg, citing false accusations that white South Africans were being murdered en masse.
The G20 brings together leaders of the world’s largest economies to tackle some of the most pressing global issues. Mr. Trump said earlier this month that Vice President JD Vance would attend before changing his mind.
This year’s summit is the first to be held in Africa. As host, South Africa has focused on an agenda that elevates the interests of the continent and the developing world.
Dozens of meetings on a variety of topics, including climate change and debt sustainability, have been held in the lead up to this weekend. The United States has skipped many of the meetings, according to people who participated. In cases where U.S. officials did attend, they often refused to negotiate, preventing countries from issuing joint declarations. (All declarations require unanimous agreement.)
South African officials have said they plan to forge ahead with a consensus declaration at the end of the summit this weekend, despite the United States’ objection on the grounds that it will not be participating in the negotiations.
Mr. Trump has said the next G20 summit will be held in Florida. American officials have indicated that they plan to streamline the agenda to include fewer discussion topics.
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