Washington DC – The United States will not engage in official talks at this weekend’s G20 summit in South Africa, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. This comes after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s comments that the U.S. had changed its position on the boycott and would now participate in the summit.
Leavitt responded sharply to Ramaphosa’s remarks, stating that the U.S. had not altered its stance and accusing the South African president of “running his mouth” about the issue. She made it clear that such comments were “not appreciated” by President Joe Biden and his team.
While the U.S. will not be involved in summit discussions, a diplomatic official will attend the event’s handover ceremony to mark the transition of the G20 presidency to the U.S. for the next year. The ceremony, scheduled for the end of the summit, will be attended by a representative from the U.S. Embassy in South Africa. The official clarified that the U.S. would only be present to acknowledge its upcoming role as host of next year’s G20 summit in Florida, which will take place at former President Donald Trump’s golf club in Doral.
Ramaphosa’s suggestion that the U.S. was reconsidering its boycott sparked the backlash, leading to the White House’s rebuke.
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