Overview

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Johannesburg, citing South Africa's 'anti-American' policies and its G20 agenda focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• The Trump administration recently cut all US aid to South Africa over its land reform law and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
• South Africa, holding the G20 presidency, aims to address global inequality, climate change, and reform of international institutions, but the US absence complicates these efforts.
• The G20 meeting has also been overshadowed by tensions over the Ukraine war, with President Trump blaming Ukraine for the conflict and sidelining NATO allies in peace talks with Russia.
• China and Russia are leveraging US disengagement to expand influence within the G20 and the Global South, while European nations emphasize support for Ukraine and international law.