Russia and Türkiye back South Africa in G20 row with US

Changes to the forum’s membership require agreement from all members, Moscow and Ankara have said

Russia and Türkiye have called for South Africa’s swift return to G20 activities after the US barred the country from participating during America’s presidency amid tensions over Pretoria’s domestic policies and foreign ties.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin and his Turkish counterpart, Berris Ekinci, discussed the issue during consultations in Moscow, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement released on Tuesday. They said any changes to G20 membership must be agreed on by consensus, with greater representation for countries of the Global South and East.

The diplomats also discussed preparations for the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta on October 30-31 and the leaders’ summit in Miami December 14-15. They stressed that the forum should remain a platform for equal dialogue on global economic challenges.

Russia and Türkiye are both members of the G20, which comprises 19 countries, the EU, and the African Union.

US President Donald Trump announced in November 2025 that South Africa would not be invited to the Miami summit, saying it demonstrated that it is “unworthy of membership.” 

READ MORE: South Africa dismisses Trump’s G20 threat

The Trump administration boycotted the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg that month over allegations that the African country allows “horrific” abuses against its white minority, including killings and land confiscation, which Pretoria denies.

Trump also accused Pretoria of refusing to hand over the G20 presidency to a US Embassy representative. South Africa said it would breach protocol for President Cyril Ramaphosa to hand over to a junior diplomat. The transfer later took place at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation between officials of similar rank.

The South African presidency said US punitive measures are based on “misinformation and distortions.” Prior to the Johannesburg summit, Ramaphosa also rejected US pressure against issuing a joint declaration without Washington’s support. He told reporters on November 20 that South Africa “will not agree to be bullied.”

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In December, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended the exclusion to all G20 meetings during America’s presidency. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola rejected the move, saying no single member can unilaterally exclude South Africa, a founding member.

Relations have since deteriorated, with the US announcing visa restrictions in September against officials and people it accuses of enabling racial discrimination, uncompensated land seizures, and inciting violence against minorities in South Africa. US Ambassador Brent Bozell also criticized Pretoria’s ties with Russia, China, and Iran, pledging to challenge its “geostrategic drift” toward America’s competitors.

Ramaphosa warned on Monday that South Africa, which already faces steep US tariffs, must prepare for possible exclusion from America’s preferential trade program for African countries.