South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was on Monday briefed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the outcome of his recent talks with US President Donald Trump regarding the Russia-Ukraine peace process.
The meeting between Putin and Trump took place in Anchorage, Alaska on 15 August and is seen as a significant development in efforts to end the protracted conflict.
Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement that Putin expressed satisfaction with the discussions, citing emerging alignment on key aspects of the peace roadmap.
“President Putin expressed satisfaction with the manner in which his talks with President Trump proceeded and the emerging alignment on the peace process,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
He said Ramaphosa welcomed the briefing and reiterated the importance of compromise on critical issues to achieve a durable resolution between Russia and Ukraine.
Writing on social media after Friday’s meeting with Putin, Trump said “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, has triggered global economic disruptions and humanitarian crises, with mounting pressure on all sides to pursue negotiated settlement.
Ramaphosa has played a prominent role in the African Peace Initiative, a multi-country mission launched in 2023 to advocate for dialogue and de-escalation.
The initiative included visits to Kyiv and Moscow by African heads of state, including Ramaphosa, then Senegalese President Macky Sall and Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema.
Magwenya said Monday’s engagement reaffirmed the commitment of Ramaphosa and Putin to maintain open lines of communication and deepen cooperation on bilateral and global issues.
JN/APA