South African President Cyril Ramaphosa traveled to Kananascus, Alberta, Canada for the G7 Summit with the hope of meeting President Donald Trump. However, he was unable to do so before Trump departed for the United States.
According to reports, Trump left the summit after the first day to return to the White House and address the ongoing war in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.
Ramaphosa had previously expressed confidence about meeting Trump again at the summit, but ultimately, this did not happen.
The South African presidential office tried to downplay the situation, claiming that there was no “official” meeting set up. In a statement, they indicated that prior expectations of a meeting had perhaps been overstated. Reports indicated that Trump left early on Monday while Israel and Iran continued their missile exchanges.
Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenia confirmed there were no plans for a formal bilateral meeting on News 24. He mentioned, “The president said they’d meet in the context of them joining the G7. There was a small environment for them to perhaps share perspectives.”
South Africa has yet to make strides in improving relations with the U.S., especially following a turbulent meeting in May, nor has it fulfilled the policy changes desired by the U.S.
The U.S. had offered asylum to African farmers, who argue that the Trump administration is facing accusations of racism and racial-based expropriations.
Additionally, South Africa’s stance has leaned anti-American, including support for Iran amid tensions with Israel.
