Group of 20 leaders on Saturday approved a new declaration addressing the climate crisis and other global challenges, moving forward without the participation of the United States and triggering a sharp response from Washington.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the text was final and “cannot be renegotiated,” a stance that highlighted the rift between Pretoria and the Trump administration, which boycotted the Johannesburg summit. “We had the entire year of working towards this adoption and the past week has been quite intense,” he added.
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The White House later accused Ramaphosa of “refusing to facilitate a smooth transition of the G20 presidency,” alleging he had threatened to pass the gavel to “an empty chair.” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said pressing ahead with the declaration “despite consistent and robust U.S. objections” showed that South Africa had “weaponized” its presidency. She said President Donald Trump looked forward to “restoring legitimacy” when the U.S. assumes the rotating presidency next year.
South African officials said there had been near-consensus on the document until Argentina withdrew from the negotiations moments before adoption. Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno said his country could not endorse the text but “remains fully committed to the spirit of cooperation that has defined the G20 since its conception.”
Quirno said Argentina was concerned about how the declaration handled geopolitical issues, particularly the Middle East conflict. The final text makes only one reference to the matter, stating members support efforts toward a “just, comprehensive, and lasting peace … in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”