The Kremlin says Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed support for diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin has shared the “main outcomes” of the recent high-level talks in Alaska with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, the Kremlin has announced.
Putin met US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday in their first face-to-face encounter since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
Trump described the negotiations, one of several attempts to resolve the conflict, as “warm,” while the Russian president called them “frank” and “substantive.”
In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said Presidents Putin and Ramaphosa spoke by phone to discuss “the Russia–US top-level talks,” without giving further details.
“Ramaphosa expressed his support for the ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis,” it stated.
South Africa has maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict despite pressure from Western governments to condemn Moscow. Ramaphosa has positioned himself as an advocate for inclusive peace talks, and led a delegation of African leaders to Kiev and St. Petersburg in June 2023 to advocate for a ceasefire.
Putin previously briefed Ramaphosa on the outcomes of talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the Ukraine conflict earlier this month, when he also expressed appreciation for the African peace initiative.
Aside from the conflict, the Kremlin said the two leaders “reaffirmed their shared commitment to further expanding the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and South Africa and working closely together within international frameworks” during Monday’s conversation.
