Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s has cut short his State visit to South Africa.
Image: Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP
President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump have pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as possible.
The two leaders discussed the ongoing war during a telephonic meeting yesterday, ahead of Ramaphosa's meeting in SA with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky arrived in SA on Thursday morning on an official working visit to find solutions around the war.
Ramaphosa said he and Trump "both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to prevent further death and destruction."
The SA President emphasised the need for diplomacy and dialogue to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
"If there is one thing that our history has taught us, it is that diplomacy and dialogue are more powerful than any weapon," Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa's comments come as SA continues to play a role in promoting peace efforts in Ukraine.
In June 2023, Ramaphosa visited Kyiv as part of the African Peace Initiative, and SA has since participated in the Ukraine Peace Formula.
Ramaphosa said that SA stands ready to continue to support all credible and inclusive multilateral efforts aimed at achieving a just, sustainable, and comprehensive peace.
During his meeting with Zelensky, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the bonds of friendship and solidarity that exist between SA and Ukraine.
Ramaphosa said the two leaders discussed ways to consolidate and deepen bilateral relations, including cooperation in areas such as agriculture, trade, education, and infrastructure.
He noted that Ukraine has provided support to South Africa during its liberation Struggle and that a number of exiled South Africans received training and education in Ukraine.
Ramaphosa welcomed Ukraine's efforts to expand relations with the African continent, including the provision of grain in areas of food stress in west and east Africa and the opening of a grain hub at the Port of Mombasa in Kenya.
"We note the provision of grain in areas of food stress in west and east Africa, the expansion of agricultural cooperation, and the opening of a grain hub at the Port of Mombasa in Kenya," Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa and Trump also discussed the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between SA and the US. The two leaders agreed to meet soon to address the various issues affecting their countries' relations.
"President Trump and I also agreed to meet soon to address the various other matters regarding our relations between South Africa and the USA," Ramaphosa said.
"We both spoke about the need to foster good relations between our two countries."
Earlier in the week, Ramaphosa had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they both committed to working together towards a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ramaphosa stressed the importance of engaging all parties to conflicts to achieve peaceful, just, and enduring solutions. Zelensky said his country was open to unconditional ceasefire welcoming SA’s. He further said Ukraine wanted to grow its presence on the African continent.
However Zelensky had to cut short his state visit to return to the capital, Kyiv, after it was hit at dawn by a bomb that reportedly killed at least eight people.
Cape Argus