The much-anticipated meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit failed to take place, despite earlier signals suggesting the two leaders would hold informal talks on the sidelines of the high-level gathering.
The missed encounter has drawn attention, especially given recent tensions between the two countries and expectations that the summit could offer a platform to reset diplomatic ties.
Senior diplomatic sources confirmed that Ramaphosa had reached out to U.S. officials ahead of the summit in hopes of engaging President Trump in informal dialogue.
The outreach was part of Pretoria’s broader strategy to reinforce its commitment to multilateralism while asserting South Africa’s foreign policy independence.
However, the South African Presidency later clarified that no formal bilateral meeting had ever been scheduled, though there had been an expectation of a brief interaction.
Interest in the potential meeting was high following a tense visit to Washington months earlier, during which the two leaders reportedly clashed over controversial claims by Trump alleging racial discrimination against white farmers in South Africa.
The failed meeting now risks being viewed as a diplomatic setback for Pretoria at a time when both countries are navigating sensitive geopolitical shifts.
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South Africa, as the only African country invited to this year’s G7 Outreach Session and the current chair of the G20, had hoped to use the summit in Kananaskis, Canada, as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties and align on key global issues.
A government statement issued ahead of the summit noted that, “The President will use this platform as an opportunity to engage with various leaders on areas of common interest in bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation, including the G20 Presidency ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2025.”
The Ramaphosa-Trump meeting ultimately did not happen after President Trump abruptly left the summit early, returning to Washington to address escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
According to the White House, the president’s departure was driven by urgent national security briefings as the Middle East crisis worsened.
Though the face-to-face did not materialize, the outreach effort has been seen as a diplomatic gesture of goodwill by South Africa, underlining its interest in maintaining long-standing strategic and economic relations with the United States.
This year’s G7 summit, hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, brought together leaders from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan to tackle pressing global issues.
The event was dominated by Trump’s trade war rhetoric, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the rapidly intensifying standoff between Israel and Iran.
Non-G7 nations invited to the summit included South Africa, India, Brazil, Ukraine, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, and the UAE, reflecting the summit’s broadened focus amid global uncertainty.
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