JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in the near future to discuss diplomatic relations between their nations. The two leaders, after a recent phone conversation, have also agreed to deliberate on the Ukrainian peace process and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Ramaphosa emphasized the urgency of resolving the war to prevent further casualties and highlighted that both he and Trump are committed to convening to tackle various issues pertinent to U.S.-South Africa relations. In a social media update, Ramaphosa expressed their mutual understanding to strengthen ties and ensure robust bilateral cooperation. Yet, he did not specify a date for the anticipated meeting with Trump.
The relationship between South Africa and the United States has become strained since Trump assumed the presidency earlier this year. Trump had been openly critical of South Africa’s approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict, accusing the country of escalating tensions by taking Israel to the International Court of Justice over allegations of genocide in Gaza.
Moreover, the U.S. administration, under Trump’s direction, issued an executive order to halt all financial assistance to South Africa and imposed hefty trade tariffs of 37% on its exports to America. Although these tariffs have been temporarily suspended for 90 days, they added stress to an economy already reeling from the loss of U.S. financial support for essential health initiatives, such as HIV prevention and treatment programs.
Additionally, Trump falsely accused South Africa of unlawfully expropriating land from white Afrikaner farmers following the implementation of the Expropriation Act, which grants the government authority to seize land for public use. Trump even extended an offer to Afrikaner farmers to relocate to the U.S., should they choose to do so.
Tensions further escalated when Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., was expelled last month after criticizing Trump. This move cast doubt on Trump’s potential attendance at the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, with the president himself indicating he might forgo the gathering.
Meanwhile, as these discussions unfold on the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in South Africa for an official visit to meet with Ramaphosa at the governmental headquarters, the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where regional security and peace were among the key topics discussed.