The White House believes that South Africa is obstructing the smooth transition of the G20 presidency to the United States, Reuters reported, citing White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly.
According to the agency, the United States believes that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, chairman of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, has insisted on a declaration on climate issues “despite consistent and justified opposition from Washington“. According to a White House spokesman, US President Donald Trump hopes to “restore the legitimacy of the G20 next year“.
Earlier, G20 leaders recognized the need for urgent and ambitious measures to prevent, minimize and eliminate the losses and damages associated with the consequences of climate change. This was stated in the joint declaration they adopted, although the United States, which is boycotting the summit, specifically insisted on preventing the adoption of any provisions to protect the planet's climate at the meeting.
The G20 summit is taking place on November 22-23 in Johannesburg. This time, at the initiative of the South African president, changes were made to the procedure: a joint declaration was adopted not at the end of the summit, but at the beginning of the G20 leaders' meeting.
The United States will assume the G20 presidency on December 1, 2025, for the next 12 months. Trump has already announced that the 2026 G20 summit will be held in Florida.