Trump and Ramaphosa's Meeting Takes Place in a Tense Atmosphere

The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House took place in a tense atmosphere. It escalated into a dispute due to controversial claims regarding "genocide" against the white population in South Africa.

At the start of the meeting, the atmosphere was calm. Trump and Ramaphosa discussed golf, with Ramaphosa noting that he had gifted Trump a 14-kilogram coffee table book showcasing South African golf courses. He also expressed gratitude to the U.S. President for the support provided during the pandemic.

However, the course of the meeting changed abruptly when Trump's advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, joined the gathering. The primary topic of discussion shifted to the issue of violence and "genocide" against white Africans, descendants of Dutch and French settlers in South Africa. In the Oval Office, Donald Trump displayed several videos, stating, "This is a horrific sight; I've never seen anything like this." He also presented what he claimed were photographs of murdered white South Africans.

Ramaphosa inquired where one of the videos was filmed, mentioning that he had not seen anything like it before. He added that the statements and actions of African opposition figure Julius Malema do not reflect South Africa's official position. The President of South Africa emphasized that the country is a democratic one where citizens have the right to express themselves freely, but he also pointed out that the issue of crime affects everyone, regardless of skin color.

During the meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump also stated that he had called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when the latter was visiting an African country. He said, "The United States is trying to resolve Russian-Ukrainian relations." He noted, "Yesterday, or rather the first day, I spoke for 2.5 hours with President Putin. I think we made great progress, but it is a bloody massacre. Every week, 5,000 people are dying. Weekly 5,000 soldiers, not counting those who perish in cities and villages. That’s why we are trying to help. This does not concern us. They are not our people," Trump said.

Ramaphosa responded to Trump, saying, "Do you remember when President Zelensky came to South Africa? At that time, I spoke with you. We both agreed that we should advance the idea of peace so that they can live in peace. We have been involved in Ukraine-Russian relations for quite a long time, so I can only recall the exchange of children (...) and the steps you have taken. We fully support this; we would like to see an end to this war." Trump replied that he had called Zelensky when he was in South Africa. "I asked, 'What is he doing in South Africa?'" noted Trump. Ramaphosa laughed and responded, "He was meeting with us."