South Africa’s Leader Hopes to Ease Tensions With U.S. During White House Visit

The Wall Street JournalWednesday, May 21, 2025 at 2:12:00 PM

** South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is heading to the White House in an effort to smooth things over with the U.S. after a rough patch in relations. Tensions flared up over disagreements on race, Israel, and trade—topics that have put the two countries at odds recently.

What This Means: ** This isn’t just a routine diplomatic visit—it’s a chance to reset a relationship that’s been strained by some pretty thorny issues. South Africa and the U.S. are key players in global trade and politics, so whether they can find common ground matters for everything from international alliances to economic ties. If they can’t, the ripple effects could be felt far beyond their borders.

— Curated via WP Now’s AI editorial system

** diplomacy

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