US, SA ‘are united’ in seeking peace between Russia and Ukraine

PRETORIA - President Cyril Ramaphosa says the United States and South Africa “are united” in their objectives to seek peace between Russia and Ukraine.

He believes that Pretoria and Washington can find common ground on the issue of ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This comes as diplomatic ties between the US and SA have slumped to an all-time low since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, with the US expelling SA’s ambassador at the weekend.

Ramaphosa was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an early childhood development event in Braamfontein, Johannesburg on Monday.

Earlier this month, Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that Zelensky would visit South Africa on April 10.Ramaphosa’s Spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the visit was a continuation of ongoing engagements between Ramaphosa, Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on an “inclusive peace process.” Ukraine has long awaited an invitation for a state visit from Pretoria.

On Monday, Ramaphosa said: “President Zelensky’s due to come to South Africa soon and we’re looking forward to welcoming him. Our objective in bringing President Zelensky here, or responding to his request that he should come, is that we want to enforce the message of peace we want to advance that objective.

“The only way to resolve the Ukraine/Russia conflict is through peaceful means and through peaceful negotiation.” Ramaphosa said he believed that Trump was giving Zelensky the same message. “That is the message that we will be passing on to President Zelensky, and we do believe that that is precisely the same message that President Trump and the United States have also been passing on to President Zelensky, so in this we are united, we have the same objective,” he said.

Ramaphosa’s comments come after Trump said he would speak to Putin on Tuesday, March 18, about the US-backed proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.

Trump is trying to win Putin’s support for the ceasefire proposal that Zelensky accepted last week, as both sides continued intense airstrikes over the weekend, and Russia advanced in pushing Ukrainian forces out of the western Russian region of Kursk, according to a Reuters report.