Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to skip the upcoming G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking the first major international gathering he’ll miss since taking office last month.

The decision comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and host nation South Africa.

Rubio, who was returning from Middle East talks including discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over Ukraine, criticized South Africa’s G20 agenda. He particularly objected to what he characterized as an emphasis on diversity, equality and inclusion frameworks, along with climate change initiatives.

The diplomatic snub occurs against a backdrop of deteriorating U.S.-South Africa relations, recently exemplified by President Trump’s executive order halting U.S. aid to South Africa over concerns about land laws affecting the White minority. The order also criticized South Africa’s foreign policy positions, including its genocide case against Israel at the United Nations and its close ties with China.

South Africa, serving as the first African nation to hold the G20 presidency, has positioned its leadership around themes of “solidarity, equality, sustainability” with a focus on advancing developing nations’ interests, particularly in areas of debt refinancing and climate change adaptation.

While South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola downplayed the impact, noting that the U.S. would still maintain some form of representation at the meeting, analysts suggest the absence could give America’s strategic competitors, including Russia and China, greater influence in the forum. Both countries’ foreign ministers are expected to attend, along with top European diplomats.

The EU has expressed concern about the state of multilateral cooperation, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasizing the need for a more inclusive international system. Despite these tensions, experts believe the G20 can still make progress under South Africa’s leadership, noting that European, Russian, and Chinese support remains strong.

The situation is particularly notable as South Africa is scheduled to hand over the G20 presidency to the United States at the year’s end, raising questions about future cooperation between the two nations in this important international forum.

Read more: Rubio to skip first G20 ministers’ meeting amid strained ties with host South Africa 

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