President Trump appears to be following up on threats to boycott the conference, hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg this year, over his outlandish claims that the country is discriminating against white South Africans by taking away their land under a government expropriation law meant to undo years of racial inequality caused by apartheid.

President Donald Trump, speaking as his Middle East trip continued Thursday, said he does not expect progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks until he meets personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin.