The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, held a phone conversation with the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, during which the two leaders exchanged views on possible ways to achieve peace in Ukraine. Ramaphosa also informed Zelensky about the details of his recent conversation with representatives of the Russian side.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Key Aspects of the Negotiations and Ukraine’s Position
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the conversation with Ramaphosa was “friendly and candid” and focused on finding real pathways to end the war and establish peace. The Ukrainian president emphasized that only decisive and mutually agreed actions by international partners can ensure an effective security architecture for Ukraine, Europe, and the world.
“I informed about my contacts in recent days with President Trump and European leaders. A lot has already been done. We are coordinating our joint position with all partners, and this position must be strong. This is about the future security architecture not only of Ukraine but also of Europe and the entire world,” he wrote in a Telegram message.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s position on achieving peace remains unchanged: the first step must be a ceasefire. The Ukrainian side is ready for peace negotiations in various formats and at the highest level. The president emphasized that Ukraine has sought to end the war since its first days and noted that Russia is the sole reason for the prolongation of the conflict and the absence of peace.
International Diplomacy and Analysts’ Reactions
The office of the President of South Africa does not disclose details of the conversation between Zelensky and Ramaphosa. Meanwhile, on August 6, a meeting took place in Moscow between the U.S. President’s special representative, Steve Vitkoff, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. This meeting occurred on the eve of the expiration of the ultimatum from U.S. President Donald Trump, who demanded that Russia establish a ceasefire with Ukraine by August 8, or face 100% tariffs on imports of Russian goods and goods from its partners to the U.S. market.
After the talks in Moscow, Trump announced “significant progress,” but acknowledged that the outcome of Vitkoff’s meeting with Putin could not be called a breakthrough. On the same day, Trump held phone conversations with Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders. In turn, Zelensky engaged in a series of negotiations with European partners on August 6 and 7, aimed at coordinating efforts to ensure peace.
Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War note that the Kremlin has not abandoned its aggressive intentions toward Ukraine, and they believe that the current negotiation process is being used by Russia to buy time in order to gain military advantages and concessions from Ukraine and the West.