South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for direct talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to help end the war. He made these comments during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.
This diplomatic push comes as hopes for a summit between the two nations have decreased. Recent efforts by other world leaders to arrange a meeting have so far been unsuccessful, with both Kyiv and Moscow blaming each other for the lack of progress.
According to a statement, President Ramaphosa stressed that a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders is urgently needed. He believes it is a key step to show a real commitment to peace.
In response, President Zelensky repeated his willingness to meet with Russian leadership. However, he also stated that he believes Moscow is trying to delay the process. He called on countries in the Global South to pressure Russia to move toward peace.
President Ramaphosa, who currently leads the G20 group of nations, has also recently spoken with the leaders of France and Finland. He is expected to talk with other European leaders in the coming weeks.
This marks a continued diplomatic effort by South Africa. Earlier this year, the country voted in favor of a UN resolution that declared Russia’s actions a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.