Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a landmark visit to South Africa to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two nations.
It was Zelenskyy’s first official visit to the continent since taking office in 2019 as Ukraine looks to strengthen its presence in Africa, reports BBC.
“Ukraine neglected the continent in terms of foreign policy, but that’s changed over the past three years,” said Steven Gruzd of the South African Institute of International Relations.
“They’ve doubled their embassies in Africa from 10 to 20, but it’s still a competitive space,” he added.
The visit, however, was disrupted when Russia launched an airstrike on Kyiv, prompting Zelenskyy to cut short his trip. “I’m cancelling part of the programme and will return to Ukraine immediately after my meeting with President Ramaphosa,” he said on X.
Zelenskyy’s visit comes at a time when Ukraine’s relationship with the U.S. was strained under President Donald Trump, who paused military aid and criticized Zelenskyy’s leadership.
With international support more critical than ever, Ukraine is seeking allies outside Europe.
“Wars aren’t just fought on the battlefield—they’re also won in the court of global public opinion,” said Prof Siphamandla Zondi of the University of Johannesburg.
For South Africa, hosting Zelenskyy offers both opportunity and risk. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has tried to position himself as a neutral peacemaker, previously leading a 2023 African peace delegation to both Moscow and Kyiv.
Still, South Africa has faced U.S. scrutiny, especially after joint military drills with Russia and China in February 2023.
Relations with the Trump administration have further broken down over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and Trump’s claims of discrimination against white Afrikaners, leading to his halting aids to South Africa.
The leaders also discussed mutual economic interests, a timely conversation as South Africa grapples with economic stagnation and high unemployment.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa confirmed a call with President Trump ahead of the meeting with Zelenskyy and revealed plans for their first face-to-face talks since Trump’s return to office.
The meeting could be pivotal, especially after Trump announced though later suspended a 30% tariff on South African goods.
