JOHANNESBURG (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend a two-day gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 nations, which kicks off on Thursday. This decision follows Rubio’s criticism of the host country, South Africa, for its anti-American policies.

Instead of participating in the meeting, Rubio is returning to the U.S. on Wednesday after completing his inaugural trip to the Middle East as Secretary of State. During this visit, he led discussions with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Following a meeting on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Rubio updated European diplomats from France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, as reported by the State Department.

Notably, key European leaders, along with Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, are anticipated to attend the Group of 20 meeting in Johannesburg. The U.S. will be represented at a lower diplomatic level.

Typically, a G20 summit provides a platform for the U.S. Secretary of State to garner support for American policies, particularly at the outset of a new administration.

Experts suggest that Rubio’s absence illustrates the Trump administration’s disinterest in international organizations aimed at fostering global collaboration. Additionally, Rubio has explicitly dismissed South Africa’s agenda for its G20 presidency, which emphasizes “solidarity, equality, and sustainability.”

As the first African nation to preside over the G20, South Africa aims to advocate for the needs of poorer countries, focusing on debt restructuring and efforts to lessen the impacts of climate change. The developing nations are urging wealthier countries to contribute more significantly to these challenges.

Rubio announced via X this month that he would also skip the primary G20 summit in Johannesburg scheduled for November, criticizing South Africa for using the event to further introduce diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, stating, “In other words: DEI and climate change.”

He added, “My focus is on promoting American national interests, not squandering taxpayer funds or supporting anti-American sentiments.”

Rubio’s choice to forgo the G20 meeting highlights a notable decline in U.S. relations with South Africa, an essential trading partner on the continent. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ceasing U.S. assistance to South Africa due to a land policy perceived as discriminatory toward some of the nation’s white minorities. The directive criticized South Africa’s foreign stance as anti-American and condemned its recent actions at the United Nations regarding accusations against Israel.

South Africa will pass the G20 presidency to the U.S. by the end of the year, with both nations expected to collaborate under G20 frameworks.

South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola remarked on Wednesday that the U.S. would have representation at the Johannesburg meeting “in some capacity,” assuring that Rubio’s absence did not amount to a total boycott of South Africa’s leadership of the G20.

Some analysts in Africa remain optimistic regarding the potential progress of the G20 under South Africa’s leadership, despite the reduced interest from the U.S. The EU, Russia, and China have shown support for South Africa’s G20 role.

“No one wishes to find themselves in opposition to the United States,” stated Oscar van Heerden, a senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership. “However, it’s evident that the foreign policy interests of the U.S. do not necessarily align with those of the European Union or the other G20 members.”

European allies harbor their own concerns about future collaboration with the Trump administration after being sidelined by its recent decision to engage in bilateral discussions with Russia.

“Multilateralism faces significant challenges at this time,” remarked EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas during her visit to South Africa. “This is an opportunity to evolve the international system to be more inclusive for all nations worldwide.”

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Contributions to this report were made by Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg; and Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa.