President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon for a high-stakes working visit, with a closed-door meeting scheduled with former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The encounter comes amid growing friction between Pretoria and Washington over foreign policy positions and global alliances.
Scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Central African Time at the White House, the meeting is expected to touch on a range of geopolitical issues, though no official agenda was released by the South African Presidency.
Tensions have been mounting following remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee that South Africa was working against American security interests. He cited Pretoria’s alignment with Iran, its stance on the war in Gaza, and its ongoing case against Israel at the International Court of Justice as major points of concern.
Rubio added that the United States deliberately chose to skip this year’s G20 meetings in South Africa, with neither President Trump nor Secretary of State representatives attending. “It had a lot to do with issues on their agenda and the positions they’ve taken globally,” said Rubio, calling South Africa’s posture on Israel “completely geared towards one side.”
The U.S. is particularly wary of South Africa’s increasing diplomatic ties with Iran, which Rubio linked to global terror networks. He suggested that Pretoria’s positions in multinational institutions often contradict American interests.
Back in Washington, Ramaphosa appeared unfazed by the tension. Speaking to journalists, he expressed optimism about the meeting. “I’m looking forward to a very good and positive outcome for our country—our people, our jobs, and trade relations,” he said.
Ramaphosa also noted that his talks with Trump would be an opportunity to clarify South Africa’s positions on Ukraine, Israel, and other pressing matters. “We are very rational when it comes to discussing geopolitical issues. South Africa’s interests will come first, and our foreign policy positions will be properly explained,” he said.
Observers in diplomatic circles are closely watching the meeting, with some speculating Ramaphosa may face tough questions from Trump and his advisers. One senior analyst described the mood around the visit as “tense, with potential for a Zelensky-style ambush”—a reference to the awkward White House exchange between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2020.
WATCH Marco Rubio speaking about South Africa
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump would not join a meeting of G20 leaders in South Africa in November, stressing that Pretoria has been “consistently unaligned” with US policy. Vid: @SenTedCruz #DonaldTrump #CyrilRamaphosa #MarcoRubio @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/Hx2INSTC6C
— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) May 21, 2025
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