Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP via Getty ImagesIt is no surprise that the G20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend will be dominated by the one person who is not there. When he announced the total boycott, Mr Ramaphosa replied with a curt: “Their loss”. At the end of each summit, the outgoing president hands over to the incoming G20 president. In the absence of Mr Trump, Mr Ramaphosa has vowed to make the presentation to an empty chair. The stance has mirrored Mr Trump’s undisguised disdain for multilateralism and international co-operation.

Source: The Irish Times November 21, 2025 19:40 UTC