S.Africa welcomes Ukraine's leader in diplomatic shift

Did Zelensky's South Africa visit signal a diplomatic pivot by Pretoria?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Pretoria on Thursday for a meeting with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa. While the visit was cut short when a Russian strike on Kyiv killed 12 people, prompting Zelensky to return to Ukraine, the meeting saw a notable shift in Pretoria's stance on the Russian invasion.

South Africa and Ukraine Solidify Biliteral Relations

[SAnews.gov.za] President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have used the official visit to deepen bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Zelensky visit to South Africa attracts global interest

Both Trump and Putin discussed the meeting in phone calls to Ramaphosa. The visit appears to have boosted South Africa’s diplomatic stature.

The Ukrainian president, whose first trip to Africa was, hastened back to his country after the Russian bombings on Kiev.

Zelenskyy cuts short visit to South Africa after deadly Russian strike on Kyiv

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Pretoria for a bilateral meeting with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa late on Wednesday, yet had to cut the visit short on Thursday following a deadly Russian attack on Kyiv.

In fact, during his first visit to Africa, the Ukrainian president wanted to push back Russian influence on the continent. However, in view of the rocket attack on Kyyiv, he left Pretoria after hours.