South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa stated he spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Friday to discuss ongoing efforts toward a lasting peace process.
This significant conversation occurred just one day after Ramaphosa had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the same complex peace process. The South African government has faced considerable criticism at home and abroad for initially refusing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.
However, South Africa has consistently maintained an officially unaligned position and demonstrated this by hosting President Zelensky in Pretoria during a visit in April. The South African presidency said in a statement that Ramaphosa received a comprehensive briefing from President Zelensky on the peace process between the two nations.
According to the statement, Zelensky expressed his appreciation for South Africa’s continuing support in finding a peaceful and lasting resolution to the devastating conflict. Earlier on Friday, Ramaphosa told journalists that his country’s consistent efforts in fostering peace processes around the world are widely recognized by the international community.
Ramaphosa had previously announced his conversation with Putin in a similarly-worded statement, confirming that the call had been requested by the Russian leader. The Russian president reportedly requested the call specifically to brief Ramaphosa on his unique perspective regarding the ongoing peace process with Ukraine.
Putin also held separate consultations with the leaders of both China and India on Friday, seeking political support from his key international allies. These diplomatic consultations were strategically held ahead of a likely upcoming summit with President Donald Trump, an important international figure.