South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Calgary to participate in this year’s Group of Seven (G7) summit, where global leaders are convening against a backdrop of mounting international crises.
Upon his arrival on Sunday, President Ramaphosa was greeted by a welcome delegation before proceeding to the summit venue. The high-level meeting is taking place this week in Kananaskis, a secluded resort nestled in the scenic Canadian Rockies, surrounded by mountains and forests.
The agenda for the summit is being shaped by urgent geopolitical developments, including the intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as the ongoing trade disputes initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump with both allies and adversaries. Additionally, the war in Ukraine remains a pressing topic of discussion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to attend and is scheduled to meet with President Trump. Their upcoming dialogue marks a highly anticipated reunion, following a tense Oval Office meeting earlier in the year that highlighted the challenges of engaging with the U.S. president on sensitive international matters.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Ramaphosa is scheduled for a bilateral meeting with President Trump, their first since a contentious White House encounter in May, during which Trump raised unsubstantiated allegations of a “genocide” targeting white South Africans.
