Russia has challenged the United States over South Africa’s exclusion from this year’s G20 summit, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arguing that Washington does not have the authority to prevent an existing G20 member from participating in the grouping’s meetings.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Lavrov said he had raised the issue directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, disputing the US position on South Africa’s participation in the Miami summit scheduled for December.
According to Lavrov, the rotating G20 presidency does not give the host country the discretion to determine which existing members can attend the leaders’ summit. He argued that members should be treated as equal participants and that the summit notification should apply to all G20 members.
Lavrov also questioned reports that Poland could participate instead of South Africa, arguing that any change to the G20’s membership would require consensus among its members.
“The G20 can only be expanded by consensus,” Lavrov said, according to Modern Diplomacy. He added that there had been no discussion about excluding South Africa and admitting Poland in its place.
South African International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has said Pretoria would not attend the US-hosted summit without an invitation, while maintaining that South Africa remains ready to participate should Washington change its position, SABC News reported.
The dispute follows a decision by US President Donald Trump not to invite South Africa to the 2026 G20 summit. Trump announced the decision in November 2025 after the United States boycotted the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, citing disagreements with Pretoria.
South Africa hosted the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, becoming the first African country to host the leaders’ meeting. The summit proceeded without US participation, while the other G20 members adopted a joint declaration covering issues including climate action, sustainable development and debt restructuring.
The United States assumed the G20 presidency for 2026, with the leaders’ summit scheduled for December 14-15 in Miami, Florida.
The controversy has added to broader diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria, while also highlighting differing interpretations of the powers of the G20 presidency and the participation rights of existing members.
Notably, Russia and South Africa are both members of BRICS, and Moscow has repeatedly advocated a greater role for emerging and developing economies in global institutions.
