JOHANNESBURG: Senior South African diplomats have met their US counterparts in Washington to clarify “misconceptions” that have soured relations since President Donald Trump took office, South Africa’s government said on Tuesday.
The meetings were intended to explain South African policies so the Trump administration “positions itself as a strategic partner,” the foreign ministry said.
The new US government has torn into various South African policies, culminating in the expulsion of Pretoria’s ambassador Ebrahim Rasool last month.
Trump has also cut financial aid over what he alleged was an anti-white land policy and offered refugee settlement to the white Afrikaner minority that he has claimed is being persecuted.
“The delegation clarified key issues and misconceptions,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We believe that these dialogues will assist to refine the current administration’s understanding of South Africa’s position on critical matters, fostering a more nuanced perspective.”
The aim was for the Trump administration to position “itself as a strategic partner in a manner that avoids conflagration of our national interests against those of our strategic partners across the world.”
The South African officials addressed “misconceptions on what has been presented by some as race laws designed to undermine minority rights,” the statement said.
This included explaining a new Expropriation Act to show that it was not designed to facilitate unlawful land seizures, as alleged.
Trump’s right-hand man is South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who has in the past echoed far-right conspiracy theories about a “white genocide” in the country.
The South African delegation also briefed the UN General Assembly on the country’s ambitions for its presidency this year of the G20 group of leading economies which carries the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” the statement said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to attend the first G20 foreign ministers meeting in February, saying it had an “anti-American” agenda.
The General Assembly “overwhelmingly endorsed the priorities and theme of the South African G20 Presidency,” the statement added.
The United States is South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner and Pretoria is anxious to preserve this exchange.
Other disagreements between the two are over some of South Africa’s foreign policies, including its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the war in Gaza.
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South African diplomats meet US counterparts over ‘misconceptions’
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South African diplomats meet US counterparts over ‘misconceptions’
- Trump has also cut financial aid over what he alleged was an anti-white land policy and offered refugee settlement to the white Afrikaner minority
- Trump’s right-hand man is South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who has in the past echoed far-right conspiracy theories about a ‘white genocide’
Zelensky holds ‘very substantive’ call with US envoys Witkoff and Kushner
KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he and his negotiators who are discussing a US-led plan for Ukraine had a “very substantive and constructive” call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram as the third day of the talks were to be held in Florida.
“We agreed on the next steps and the format of the talks with America,” he added.
Zelensky, who was in Kyiv, joined the call with top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and Andriy Gnatov, the chief of staff of Kyiv’s armed forces, both of whom were in Miami for the talks with the US side.
The two Americans — Witkoff, who is US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law — had been meeting with Umerov and Gnatov since Thursday.
Trump’s team is trying to swiftly settle the conflict in Ukraine, which has run for nearly four years.
An initial US plan released two weeks ago was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as aligning too closely with many of Russia’s hard-line positions, and has since been revised.
Zelensky said the call with Witkoff and Kushner “focused on many aspects and quickly discussed key issues that could guarantee an end to the bloodshed and remove the threat of a third Russian invasion, as well as the threat of Russia failing to fulfil its promises, as has happened many times in the past.”
He said he was waiting a “detailed report” from Umerov and Gnatov.
“We cannot discuss everything over the phone, so we need to work in detail with the teams on ideas and proposals,” he added.
Zelensky said Ukraine’s approach to the negotiations was that “everything must be capable of working, every important thing for peace, security and reconstruction.”
French President Emmanuel Macon said on Saturday that he, Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would meet in London on Monday to “take stock” of the US-led negotiations.
“Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram as the third day of the talks were to be held in Florida.
“We agreed on the next steps and the format of the talks with America,” he added.
Zelensky, who was in Kyiv, joined the call with top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and Andriy Gnatov, the chief of staff of Kyiv’s armed forces, both of whom were in Miami for the talks with the US side.
The two Americans — Witkoff, who is US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law — had been meeting with Umerov and Gnatov since Thursday.
Trump’s team is trying to swiftly settle the conflict in Ukraine, which has run for nearly four years.
An initial US plan released two weeks ago was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as aligning too closely with many of Russia’s hard-line positions, and has since been revised.
Zelensky said the call with Witkoff and Kushner “focused on many aspects and quickly discussed key issues that could guarantee an end to the bloodshed and remove the threat of a third Russian invasion, as well as the threat of Russia failing to fulfil its promises, as has happened many times in the past.”
He said he was waiting a “detailed report” from Umerov and Gnatov.
“We cannot discuss everything over the phone, so we need to work in detail with the teams on ideas and proposals,” he added.
Zelensky said Ukraine’s approach to the negotiations was that “everything must be capable of working, every important thing for peace, security and reconstruction.”
French President Emmanuel Macon said on Saturday that he, Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would meet in London on Monday to “take stock” of the US-led negotiations.
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