Ramaphosa doesn't believe Zelenskyy's visit to SA will escalate tensions with US
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit the country next week to continue discussions on the ongoing conflict with Russia.
FILE: Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference on the sidelines of the European Council Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on 17 October 2024. Picture: NurPhoto via AFP
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa said he doesn’t believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s upcoming visit to South Africa will escalate tensions with the United States (US).
Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit the country next week to continue discussions on the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukraine’s recently strained relationship with the White House has come under question after a heated exchange between US President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy.
Ramaphosa said there were no indications suggesting that welcoming Zelenskyy to South Africa would worsen the already-strained diplomatic ties with the US.
"So that is the message that we will be passing on and we do believe that’s precisely the same message that President Trump and the United States have also been passing on to President Zelenksyy. So, in this we are united, and we have the same objective. So, I don’t see that causing any challenge or problem whatsoever."
Ramaphosa said Zelenksyy’s visit would only focus on the country's conflict with Russia.
"President Zelenksyy is due to come to South Africa soon and we are looking forward to welcoming him. Our objective in bringing President Zelenskyy here or responding to his request to he should come is that we want to enforce the message of peace, we want to advance that objective."