Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in South Africa for a two-day meeting of G20 foreign ministers, where top European diplomats are expected to reaffirm their support for Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend, the Associated Press reported, BTA reports.
Lavrov left for Johannesburg two days after landmark bilateral talks between the US and Russia to end the war in Ukraine. These negotiations have isolated the US's European allies and Ukraine, who did not participate in them.
US President Donald Trump has further worsened the West's position by criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and blaming Ukraine for the war, the third anniversary of which will be marked next week, the AP notes.
Rubio decided not to participate in the G-20 meeting amid tensions with South Africa over some of its policies that the Trump administration has described as anti-American. The US will be represented by acting ambassador to South Africa Dana Brown.
The G-20 consists of 19 of the world's largest economies and the European Union. Participants in the meeting include EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
While South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency this year, hopes for progress on issues such as debt refinancing and climate change, one of the first sessions will discuss the global geopolitical situation.
Britain, France, Germany and the EU pledged to continue supporting Ukraine and condemned Russia's aggression, while also seeking to participate in any ceasefire talks. The G20 meeting in South Africa provides an opportunity for European countries to speak with one voice on the Russia-Ukraine war and a possible peace process.
Rubio's decision to boycott the meeting and his promise to skip the main G20 summit in South Africa in November threaten the forum's effectiveness. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant also said he would not attend the G20 finance ministers' meeting next week.
The Trump administration has sanctioned South Africa with an executive order that has cut off all US aid to the country. The document criticizes South Africa's decision to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza in an ongoing UN case, interpreted as support for the Palestinian group "Hamas". It also cited South Africa's relations with Iran and the Communist Party of China.
Rubio dismissed South Africa's theme for the G20 presidency, which was "solidarity, equality and sustainability".
"In other words: DfE and climate change", Rubio wrote in "Ex". "My job is to advance America's national interests, not waste taxpayer money or pander to anti-Americanism."
South Africa played down suggestions that Rubio's absence undermined its G20 presidency. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said on the eve of the Johannesburg meeting that "there is no complete boycott of the South African G20 presidency" by the United States.