---
title: "Ukraine's Zelensky to visit South Africa for talks in April"
description: "JOHANNESBURG, March 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold talks in South Africa with President Cyril Ramaphosa on April 10, Ramaphosa's spokesman said on Friday, as the Ukrainian leader tries to shore up international support after the U.S. halted all military aid."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Ukraine war"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-07-ukraines-zelensky-to-visit-south-africa-for-talks-in-april/"
published: "2025-03-07T12:41:44"
updated: "2025-03-07T12:41:45"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 247
---

# Ukraine's Zelensky to visit South Africa for talks in April

> JOHANNESBURG, March 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold talks in South Africa with President Cyril Ramaphosa on April 10, Ramaphosa's spokesman said on Friday, as the Ukrainian leader tries to shore up international support after the U.S. halted all military aid.

By Reuters · Published 7 March 2025, 14:41 SAST · Updated 7 March 2025, 14:41 SAST

## Key points
- In a diplomatic tango that rivals a soap opera, South Africa struts its non-aligned stance on the Ukraine war while cozying up to Russia, all while dodging accusations of arms shipments and hosting Zelensky amid a backdrop of geopolitical drama.
- South Africa maintains a non-aligned stance on the Ukraine war, fostering strong ties with Russia within the BRICS framework.
- The country has abstained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has not voted on related UN resolutions.
- President Ramaphosa's ongoing dialogues with Putin and Zelensky aim for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
- Zelensky's upcoming visit coincides with heightened tensions in US-Russia relations and shifts in military aid dynamics.

## Content

South Africa seeks to project itself as non-aligned on the Ukraine war but has good relations with Russia, with both countries belonging to the BRICS group of emerging economies - which also includes China, India, Brazil and others - that is trying to challenge the Western-dominated economic order.

South Africa has refused to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to [invade Ukraine](https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-russia-war/) three years ago and has abstained from voting on UN resolutions on the war.

"The visit is a continuation of ongoing engagements held by President Ramaphosa with President Putin and President Zelensky on an inclusive ... process that will provide a path to peace between Russia and Ukraine," spokesman Vincent Magwenya told Reuters.

The US ambassador to South Africa in 2023 accused the country of [shipping arms to Russia](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AJ8N35U007&linkedFromStory=true) in breach of its professed neutrality. An inquiry [found no evidence](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3AE0BC&linkedFromStory=true) that a Russian ship had collected weapons from a naval base near Cape Town.

Zelensky's planned visit to South Africa comes at a pivotal moment in the war, following his public feud with Donald Trump in the White House last Friday and the US president's decision to halt Washington's military aid to Kyiv.

Trump has stepped up efforts to end the war and also to improve US relations with Russia, prompting European leaders on Thursday to [back plans](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3PO2D0&linkedFromStory=true) to spend more on defence and reaffirm their determination to stand by Ukraine.

(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Writing by Tannur Anders;Editing by Alexander Winning and Gareth Jones)