Ramaphosa Calls for Global Unity at G20, While the U.S. Takes Its Ball and Goes Home

In a dramatic showdown at the G20 foreign ministers meeting, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa preached the importance of multilateralism and international law to tackle global crises. But it seems not everyone was listening.

While the meeting in Johannesburg featured foreign ministers from major world powers like China, Russia, France, and the UK, the U.S. delegation was notably light. Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to boycott the meeting, claiming he wouldn’t “coddle anti-Americanism.” Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also pulled out, citing a busy schedule in Washington—because who needs diplomacy when you’ve got other “commitments,” right?

Ramaphosa, in his opening speech, acknowledged that the world was facing a "fragile global coexistence," with issues like intolerance, conflicts, and climate change threatening to unravel everything. But hey, there’s no consensus on what to do about it—especially when some countries seem more interested in climate change than coddling certain egos.

The South African President, who’s leading the G20 for the first time as the continent’s representative, stressed that international law and multilateralism must be at the heart of the conversation. But then again, with the U.S. too busy taking its toys and going home, that message might get lost in the shuffle.

Relations between the U.S. and South Africa have soured since President Trump took office. Trump’s cuts to aid—due to the country’s "unjust and immoral practices"—have set the stage for a tense G20. And Rubio? Well, he made it clear he wasn’t about to sit at the same table with South Africa. He even took to X (formerly Twitter, apparently) to bash the country for “using the G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability’” instead of, you know, advancing America’s national interests.

So, with tensions high, the question remains: How much progress can South Africa really make during its G20 presidency? Well, with the U.S. busy boycotting meetings and tweeting, it seems like global unity might be a bit of a long shot. But hey, at least they’re trying, right?