Pretoria – Russia has publicly backed South Africa in its diplomatic dispute with the United States, condemning Pretoria’s exclusion from the 2026 G20 summit and calling for the country to be restored to the group’s negotiating table.
According to Business Insider Africa, Russia described South Africa’s exclusion as an “egregious violation” and argued that the G20 cannot be controlled unilaterally by one member.
The Russian Embassy in South Africa said Ambassador-at-Large Marat Berdyev stressed that the G20 is a “collegial format” and that Moscow was working with partners to restore Pretoria’s participation.
“Russia is working with partners to ensure Pretoria takes its rightful place at the negotiating table ASAP,” the embassy said in a post on X on Sunday.
Trump’s threat
The intervention comes about nine months after US President Donald Trump announced that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 G20 leaders’ summit, scheduled for December in Miami.
Reuters reported at the time that President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected Trump’s threat, reaffirming South Africa’s status as a founding member of the G20.
The dispute followed the deterioration of relations between Washington and Pretoria over issues including South Africa’s land reform policies, its position on Israel and Palestine, and US allegations concerning the treatment of white South Africans.
Trump’s administration has also criticised South Africa’s land-expropriation policy and suspended US aid to the country. Pretoria has rejected Washington’s allegations of racial persecution and has described some of the claims as misinformation.
Russia challenges US position
Russia’s latest intervention is consistent with Moscow’s broader criticism of what it sees as Western dominance of international institutions.
In February, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the United States could not unilaterally exclude South Africa from G20 activities, according to Russian state news agency Africa.
The ministry argued that G20 participation should not be determined by a single member, reinforcing Moscow’s position that Pretoria should retain its place in the grouping.
The dispute has its roots in South Africa’s 2025 G20 presidency. Pretoria hosted the leaders’ summit in Johannesburg in November, becoming the first African country to hold the rotating presidency.
The Guardian reported that the summit was overshadowed by the US boycott and a dispute over the formal handover of the G20 presidency to Washington.
South Africa ultimately transferred the presidency to the United States, which is hosting the 2026 meetings.
Diplomatic tensions continue
The Russian intervention comes as South Africa continues to navigate increasingly complex relations with both Washington and Moscow.
Pretoria has maintained close ties with Russia as part of its BRICS membership and has repeatedly defended its right to pursue an independent foreign policy.
At the same time, the South African government has sought to avoid allowing its diplomatic differences with the US to damage trade and investment relations.
The 2026 G20 summit is scheduled to take place in Miami in December. The US-hosted gathering is expected to focus on global economic growth, trade imbalances, debt and supply-chain resilience, according to Reuters.
Russia’s latest statement places renewed focus on the diplomatic battle over South Africa’s participation and highlights the wider contest between major powers over influence within international institutions.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
