Ukraine's Zelenskyy to visit South Africa in April for talks

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to visit South Africa next month for talks with the country’s leader Cyril Ramaphosa.

A spokesperson for the South African presidency says it will be a continuation of Ramaphosa’s ongoing engagement with both Kyiv and Moscow to find a path to peace.

South Africa has adopted a neutral position on Russia’s war in Ukraine and has attempted to act as a mediator between the sides, although with limited success.

Ramaphosa led an African peace mission to Russia and Ukraine in 2023 and met with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The South African president has held separate calls with both leaders since then.

Pretoria has close ties with Russia, with both countries belonging to the BRICS group of emerging economies that is trying to challenge the Western-dominated economic order.

In addition, South Africa has refused to condemn Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine three years ago.

Zelenskyy's visit to the country comes at a critical juncture in the war following his explosive meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House last week.

He is trying to shore up international support for his country after Washington halted intelligence-sharing and all military aid to Ukraine.

Following the confrontation, European leaders have backed plans to spend more on defence and have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine.

The US excluded Ukraine and other European allies when it met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia over a possible peace deal last month.

South Africa says that Ukraine must be included in peace talks, echoing a call by European leaders.

Ramaphosa is due to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Cape Town next week at the annual EU-South Africa summit.

South Africa holds the presidency of the Group of 20 this year and has called for cooperation among the bloc to find an end to the war in Ukraine.