The United States will not participate in official talks at the G20 summit in South Africa, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday, attributing the decision to critical comments made by the South African president.
“The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa,” Leavitt stated during a press briefing. “I saw the South African President running his mouth a little bit against the United States, and the president. That language is not appreciated by the president or his team.”
The announcement came in response to questions about a report that the administration was sending a U.S. official, Mark Dillard, to the summit, suggesting a potential shift in policy. Leavitt firmly denied any change in position.
Leavitt clarified that Dillard, the representative of the U.S. embassy in South Africa, is attending for a specific, procedural reason unrelated to the summit’s official agenda.
“[He] is simply there to recognize that the United States will be the host of the G20,” Leavitt explained. “They are receiving that sendoff at the end of the event. They are not there to participate in official talks despite what the South African president is falsely claiming.”
Administration Provides Update on Ukraine Peace Efforts
Shifting to foreign policy, Leavitt provided an update on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, confirming that the Trump administration is actively pursuing a peace plan.
“President Trump has made it very clear since day one… that he wants to see this war come to an end,” Leavitt said. “He has grown increasingly frustrated with both sides of this war, Russia and Ukraine alike, for their refusal to commit to a peace agreement.”
Leavitt revealed that Special Envoy Whit and Secretary Marco Rubio have been quietly working on a plan for approximately one month. She described the administration’s approach as engaging “with both sides, Russia and Ukraine equally to understand what these countries would commit to in order to see a lasting and durable peace.”
She drew a parallel to the administration’s foreign policy success in the Middle East, stating, “That’s how it worked with Israel, with respect to Israel and Gaza and all of the Arab countries in the Middle East.”
While Leavitt declined to litigate the specific details of the ongoing plan, she defended it against a reporter’s characterization that it demanded major concessions from Ukraine while asking little of Russia.
“Your understanding is wrong,” Leavitt responded. “The administration has talked equally with both sides.”
She noted that Secretary Driscoll met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier in the day and was “very optimistic” following the discussion. Leavitt concluded by expressing the administration’s belief that a negotiated peace, similar to the “historic success” achieved in the Middle East, is possible and that the team is “working very hard to achieve that.”