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Ukraine's President urges Global South to push Russia toward peace

Ukraine's President urges Global South to push Russia toward peace Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Author: Liliana Oleniak

In a conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the countries of the Global South to push Russia to end the war.

"I spoke with President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, at his request. I informed about the joint diplomatic efforts with our partners and the productive meetings with President Trump in Washington. This war must be brought to an end – a war that nobody ever needed except Russia," Zelenskyy says.

The President of Ukraine also confirms that he is ready for any format of meeting with the Russian leader.

"However, we see that Moscow is once again trying to drag everything out even further. It is important that the Global South sends relevant signals and pushes Russia toward peace," he adds.

Zelenskyy also noted that during the conversation with Ramaphosa, the leaders of the countries discussed future contacts with partners, as well as opportunities for joint work to develop relations and ensure food security and a platform for dialogue.

Meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin

The topic of a bilateral meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin arose after Donald Trump held talks with Putin in Alaska and subsequently received the Ukrainian President and European leaders at the White House.

Initially, a trilateral format was considered, but after the summit in Washington, Trump suggested that Zelenskyy and Putin meet one-on-one. According to media reports, the Kremlin proposed holding talks in Moscow, but Kyiv refused. The White House, on the other hand, considered Budapest as an option.

Zelenskyy emphasizes that the meeting is only possible on neutral territory—for example, in Austria, Switzerland, or Türkiye. Russia, however, has stated that the summit can only take place after all key issues have been agreed upon, and the parties are not yet close to reaching an agreement.