Pretoria: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a telephone conversation with European leaders on Saturday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine peace efforts, according to the Presidency. This development comes in the wake of a series of meetings hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and several other European leaders.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Ramaphosa engaged in discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The Presidency highlighted that these conversations were part of South Africa’s continued engagement with both sides of the conflict, aiming to foster peace.

Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the president, stated that European leaders openly shared their perspectives and expressed appreciation for South Africa’s role. They committed to supporting efforts aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Magwenya added that President Ramaphosa will continue to engage with other European leaders in the coming days, emphasizing the need to maintain momentum towards peace.

The spokesperson further noted that President Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of holding bilateral and trilateral meetings among the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. These meetings are seen as crucial to demonstrating a strong commitment to resolving the war.