Johannesburg — President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday he would invite Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky soon to discuss an “inclusive peace process” to end a conflict sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The offer comes amid heavy criticism of moves by Russia and the United States to negotiate an end to the war through talks where neither Ukraine nor its European allies were invited.
“I welcome the constructive engagement I had with President @ZelenskyyUA and I look forward to hosting him in South Africa soon for a state visit,” Ramaphosa said on X.
I welcome the constructive engagement I had with President @ZelenskyyUA and I look forward to hosting him in South Africa soon for a state visit.
We both agreed on the urgent need for an inclusive peace process that involves all parties in finding a resolution to the conflict…
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 21, 2025
The two leaders had agreed on “the urgent need for an inclusive peace process that involves all parties,” Ramaphosa said.
“South Africa remains committed to supporting the dialogue process between Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
Zelensky meanwhile thanked Ramaphosa for supporting “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and said he hoped for peace this year.
“It is important that our countries share the same position: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We all hope to achieve a just and lasting peace this year. South Africa’s voice matters, and we count on its support,” he wrote.
I spoke with South African President @CyrilRamaphosa and thanked him for South Africa’s support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It is important that our countries share the same position: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We all hope to achieve a just… pic.twitter.com/k7Fe8Q5GO5
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 20, 2025
While South Africa has sought to display neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine, it has been accused of leaning towards Moscow.
In October, Ramaphosa described Russia as “valuable friends and allies” during a summit of the BRICS grouping of major emerging economies that was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ramaphosa held talks on Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of top diplomats of the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies in Johannesburg.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the two-day meeting in South Africa, the current G20 president, after accusing Pretoria of an “anti-Americanism” agenda.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Source: AFP
Picture: X/@PresidencyZA
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
