Trump denied aid to South Africa over Afrikaner policy

US President Donald Trump has ordered a freeze on any aid to the Republic of South Africa (RSA) because of the state's policy towards Afrikaners - descendants of European colonists, as well as because of RSA's position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Trump's executive order was published on the White House website on February 8.

"With shocking disregard for the rights of its citizens, South Africa recently passed the 13th clause to the Expropriation Act of 2024 to allow the South African government to confiscate the agricultural property of ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation," the document said.

Also, Trump emphasized that South Africa adheres to an aggressive policy regarding Israel. Thus, the American leader noted that the republic does not support Israel, but, on the contrary, accuses it of escalating the conflict in the Middle East.

"The policy of the United States is that as long as South Africa continues these unjust and immoral practices that harm our Nation, the United States will not aid or assist South Africa," Trump emphasized.

He also noted that Washington will deal with the gradual resettlement of Afrikaner refugees who move because of racial discrimination and property confiscation.

Formal diversity: opposing agendas are expected in the G7 and G20

How Canada's and South Africa's actions during the chairmanship year will affect Russia's position

Earlier, on February 6, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he would miss the meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries in Johannesburg because of the anti-American policy of South Africa.

The G20 foreign ministers' meeting will be held on February 20-21. The meeting will be held for the fourth time in a row in a country friendly to Russia. In 2022 it was Indonesia, in 2023 - India, in 2024 - Brazil. As Svetlana Lukash, Russia's G20 Sherpa, emphasized at the end of last year, South Africa's priorities fully meet Russia's interests.

The previous G20 summit was held on November 18-19 in the capital of Brazil and was dedicated to "building a just world and a sustainable planet." The Russian delegation was headed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In the already adopted final declaration, the participants of the meeting welcomed all constructive initiatives to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. At the time, The New York Times wrote that the G20 heads of state did not pay attention to incumbent US President Joe Biden during the summit in Brazil.