Zelensky cuts SA visit short and returns to Kyiv after Russian attack

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he was cancelling a part of his programme in SA and returning to Ukraine after intense Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv.

Zelensky said on the Telegram app that Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha would conduct all necessary meetings in SA to inform leaders about the situation in Ukraine.

Zelensky arrived in SA on Thursday for talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa on bilateral co-operation and efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Zelensky has been trying to shore up international support for Kyiv’s war effort amid growing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who said last week that Washington could walk away if there was no clear progress on a peace deal soon.

Commenting on the visit, Zelensky posted on X that he would meet Ramaphosa as well as other political and civil representatives. “It is crucial to bring a just peace closer,” he added. SA, which maintains good relations with Russia, has remained neutral in the conflict which began in 2022. “The visit provides SA and Ukraine with an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations.... It will also explore areas of co-operation with the objective to support efforts to bring lasting peace,” the presidency said in a statement.

Reuters