The United States will maintain its boycott of the G20 summit in South Africa, attending only the handover ceremony as the leadership of the forum transitions to the U.S., officials confirmed.
Reports that the U.S. had reversed its decision to skip the summit circulated on South African media but were clarified by the White House official as inaccurate. A spokesperson remarked, “This is fake news. The Chargé d’Affaires will attend the handover ceremony as a formality. But the US is not joining G20 discussions.”
The U.S. Embassy in South Africa has formally communicated its plans to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation through Diplomatic Note 3023/25. The note detailed that Chargé d’Affaires Marc D. Dillard will lead the delegation during the closing session, with other embassy officials attending as plenary and viewing room delegates. The communication outlined requests for accreditation, access to the venue, and security arrangements to facilitate their participation.
Security support includes motorcade assistance from the South African Police Service and Metro Police, along with K-9 and explosive ordnance disposal sweeps for vehicles transporting the delegation. The embassy emphasized that the delegation’s presence is strictly ceremonial, with no involvement in the summit’s discussions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt further clarified that the U.S. is not participating in official talks at the G20. She said that the ambassador or embassy representative is “simply there to recognize that the United States will be the host of the G20. They are receiving that send-off at the end of the event. They are not there to participate in official talks despite what the South African president is falsely claiming.”
Officials noted that the letter outlining these arrangements may have been misinterpreted by media outlets, leading to the erroneous belief that the U.S. would participate fully in the summit. The embassy also identified points of contact for both the ceremony and related security matters, underlining the formal and limited nature of the U.S. engagement.
