Ramaphosa stresses multilateralism at G20 as US boycotts talks

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged G20 foreign ministers to uphold multilateralism and international law to address global challenges.

His remarks come amid tensions with the Trump administration, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have both boycotted key G20 meetings.

Rubio criticized South Africa’s leadership, claiming the country is using the G20 to push a diversity and climate agenda.

Meanwhile, relations between the US and South Africa have worsened following Trump’s aid freeze over land reforms and Pretoria’s ICJ case against Israel.

With South Africa holding the G20 presidency until November 2025, Ramaphosa aims to champion developing nations' interests.

However, the absence of high-level US officials raises concerns about the effectiveness of global cooperation during his tenure.