French officials on Thursday denied that South Africa was excluded from the guest list for the June G7 leaders’ summit due to pressure from Washington, explaining that Kenya was invited instead as part of preparations for President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit there later this year, Reuters reported.
France had earlier announced that leaders from India, South Korea, Brazil, and Kenya would attend the summit, which will take place in Evian-les-Bains.
South Africa, which has frequently been invited to past G7 meetings, said the French embassy in Pretoria informed its government about two weeks ago of the decision, noting that the United States had allegedly threatened to boycott the summit if South Africa was included.
“We’ve accepted the French decision and appreciate the pressure they’ve been subjected to,” said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Responding to questions during a briefing about whether the decision was made at the request of the United States, a French official dismissed the claim, stating that France independently chose to invite Kenya this time.
Macron is scheduled to travel to Kenya in May for a two-day Africa-France summit.
A White House official supported France’s position, saying the invitation to Kenya followed discussions among G7 members, without directly addressing South Africa’s exclusion.
“The French, in their capacity as 2026 G7 host, expressed a desire in January to invite an African nation to the June G7 leaders’ summit in Evian. After discussion among G7 members, it was collectively determined that Kenya should be invited to the summit. The United States welcomes Kenya’s participation,” the official said. G7 leaders often invite several non-member countries as guests.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of South Africa’s foreign policy and its domestic race laws during his second term. He also boycotted last year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg and has excluded South Africa from G20 meetings this year.
France had initially hoped the summit would focus on preventing a “massive financial crisis” by encouraging China, which is not a G7 member, to strengthen domestic demand and reduce exports seen as destabilizing.
It also aimed to push the United States to reduce its deficits and Europe to increase production while saving less.
However, these longer-term priorities may be overshadowed by more urgent global challenges. The summit is set against the backdrop of an energy shock linked to the U.S. and Israeli war involving Iran, ongoing tensions within the transatlantic alliance, and broader questions about the relevance of the G7 itself.
“We don’t know where the Iran crisis will be by June,” an adviser to Macron said. “However it evolves, we will have to address its energy and economic consequences.”
China will not attend the June 15–17 summit and continues to question the legitimacy of the G7, describing it as a “club of rich countries,” according to French officials.
Although France had explored inviting Beijing through diplomatic channels, it plans to engage China separately. One official noted that avoiding escalation is also in China’s interest, saying, “The risk for China is to see global markets, and European markets, closing off to it.”
The same official added that the countries invited this year are democracies and market economies that follow international cooperation rules.
Uncertainty also surrounds whether Trump will attend the summit, as his use of tariff threats has unsettled both allies and rivals, as well as global markets.
“I won’t make any predictions, but if Trump doesn’t come, it also makes sense – it’s a new international reality and we need to organize ourselves accordingly,” the official said.
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Image Credit: The Moscow Times
