South African President Cyril Ramaphosa bangs gavel to close G20 summit amidst boycott and diplomatic spat. In a move perceived as a victory for multilateralism, South Africa successfully concluded the two-day G20 summit in Johannesburg. However, the event was overshadowed by a US boycott, which has repeatedly accused South Africa of unfairly targeting white-minority Afrikaners.
Despite this, Ramaphosa delivered a defiant closing speech, praising the ability of nations to come together despite significant challenges and promising to pursue a better world. The address marked a notable absence from any mention of the United States, a country that withdrew from the Paris climate agreement under former President Donald Trump's administration.
The White House had warned earlier that Ramaphosa would not be able to hand over the G20 presidency to the US acting ambassador, citing protocol concerns. South Africa offered an alternative solution, but ultimately rejected it after the US refused to accept it. With tensions running high, the ball is now reportedly in the US court, with many questioning whether they will participate in the 2026 summit.
The event's outcomes were largely shaped by the G20 declaration, which emphasized tackling climate change and achieving gender equality. Argentina also declined to endorse the statement, citing concerns over the resolution on the Middle East conflict.
In another notable absence was Russia's Vladimir Putin, who is currently wanted by the international criminal court, as well as China's Xi Jinping, whose schedule has been dominated by appearances at domestic events. Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum was also absent, further highlighting divisions among major global players.
The G20 summit marked a significant moment for South Africa, with Ramaphosa touting it as a triumph for multilateralism. However, the underlying tensions and diplomatic spats suggest that this event may only be the beginning of a long and complex conflict between nations over issues such as climate change and human rights.
Despite this, Ramaphosa delivered a defiant closing speech, praising the ability of nations to come together despite significant challenges and promising to pursue a better world. The address marked a notable absence from any mention of the United States, a country that withdrew from the Paris climate agreement under former President Donald Trump's administration.
The White House had warned earlier that Ramaphosa would not be able to hand over the G20 presidency to the US acting ambassador, citing protocol concerns. South Africa offered an alternative solution, but ultimately rejected it after the US refused to accept it. With tensions running high, the ball is now reportedly in the US court, with many questioning whether they will participate in the 2026 summit.
The event's outcomes were largely shaped by the G20 declaration, which emphasized tackling climate change and achieving gender equality. Argentina also declined to endorse the statement, citing concerns over the resolution on the Middle East conflict.
In another notable absence was Russia's Vladimir Putin, who is currently wanted by the international criminal court, as well as China's Xi Jinping, whose schedule has been dominated by appearances at domestic events. Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum was also absent, further highlighting divisions among major global players.
The G20 summit marked a significant moment for South Africa, with Ramaphosa touting it as a triumph for multilateralism. However, the underlying tensions and diplomatic spats suggest that this event may only be the beginning of a long and complex conflict between nations over issues such as climate change and human rights.
The whole thing just feels so weird 
. I mean, you'd think that after all the drama with Trump and stuff, they'd try to put the past behind them, but nope 
. It's like the US is still playing hardball over climate change 
. And what's up with Argentina not endorsing the declaration? Sounds like a major sticking point to me 
.
. It's not easy hosting a big event like that and managing all those egos 
. And Ramaphosa's closing speech was pretty inspiring 
. Maybe it's a sign that nations are finally starting to put their differences aside and work towards something bigger than themselves 
.
. Will the US show up for the 2026 summit? Only time will tell 
. One thing's for sure, though – this is just the beginning of a long and complicated conversation about climate change, human rights, and all that jazz 
.
. The fact that they were able to keep it together despite the US boycott is a testament to their diplomatic skills 
. Cyril Ramaphosa really stepped up and delivered a powerful speech that showed the world what South Africa's all about 
? Either way, it's clear that there are some major tensions simmering beneath the surface when it comes to issues like climate change and human rights 
.
? One thing's for sure, South Africa's put themselves on the map as a major player in global politics 
.
. But at the same time, you can't help but wonder what's going on behind closed doors 
. The fact that China and Russia weren't there says a lot about where their priorities lie these days 
. And with Argentina not endorsing the statement, it just goes to show how divided we are on some of these issues 
. I'm keeping an eye on this situation, hoping for a peaceful resolution 
.
. But Ramaphosa still managed to get some big stuff done, like climate change and gender equality 
. Will they even show up to the 2026 summit? That's a big question mark right there 
.
? I mean, come on, if you're gonna boycott, at least have the decency to bring your A-game 
. And don't even get me started on Russia and China being MIA 
. It's like they're all playing some massive game of diplomatic chess and I'm just over here like "what's going on?!" 
.
. like ramaphosa's speech was super polished and all but it still feels kinda bitter that the us is all upset about it. meanwhile, china and russia aren't showing up because of some drama with the international court lol. its gonna be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out in 2026 
i think south africa's move was a good one though - they finally stood up for themselves and didn't let the US dictate what they have to do. maybe its time for other countries to follow their lead? 
. Can someone please just explain how this forum works again? 
maybe thats a sign of things to come? or maybe sa just wanted to show we can do it without them 
. I mean, come on, they can't just sit there and expect everyone else to do all the work on climate change and human rights without contributing anything 
There are plenty of other countries out there that can get stuff done without needing to dictate everything.
Data Alert! 
️
anyway gotta keep an eye on this 2026 summit it's gonna be interesting 
, but Ramaphosa just kept on trucking and didn't even mention them in his speech 
But at the same time, it feels like there's still so much drama going on between these countries 
. I mean, who knows what's gonna happen with the US and the G20 presidency in 2026? Will they even show up? 
i mean we gotta give ramaphosa props for not taking the bait and just going with his own agenda, maybe this is the start of a new era for multilateralism? 