On Saturday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a series of telephone conversations with European leaders, injecting fresh momentum into stalled talks over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. South Africa’s outreach highlights a global push for dialogue amid one of the world’s most entrenched confrontations.
According to the Presidency, Ramaphosa spoke directly with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. These high-level exchanges come on the heels of a meeting hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, which brought together President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Zelenskyy alongside several European chiefs.
Ramaphosa expressed appreciation for a briefing he received last week from President Putin following that gathering. “In all the discussions, European leaders openly shared their perspectives, appreciated South Africa’s role in engaging with both sides to the conflict, and provided President Ramaphosa with a firm commitment to supporting efforts aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine,” said Vincent Magwenya, the presidential spokesperson.
Magwenya confirmed that Ramaphosa will extend calls to additional European leaders in the coming days. With three calls so far and more scheduled, Ramaphosa’s diplomatic sprint highlights South Africa’s growing role as a convener in global peace efforts.
Looking ahead, President Ramaphosa has urged all parties to sustain the diplomatic momentum and fast-track bilateral and trilateral summit talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. His outreach from Pretoria to Europe aims to bridge divides and rally new support for a lasting peace.
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South African president talks with Europe on Russia-Ukraine conflict
cgtn.com
