JOHANNESBURG, April 24 (Reuters) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine and the need to improve diplomatic relations between their two countries.
Posting on social media platform X, Ramaphosa stated:
“We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths… and to meet soon to address various matters regarding U.S.-South Africa relations.”
The conversation marks a significant step in easing tensions that have worsened since Trump’s return to office in January.
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated sharply in recent months. The Trump administration expelled South Africa’s ambassador and slashed financial aid, citing dissatisfaction with South Africa’s stance on land reform and its genocide case against Israel—one of Washington’s closest allies—at the International Court of Justice.
The announcement of a possible face-to-face meeting signals a tentative effort to reset the relationship amid heightened geopolitical tensions and internal policy differences.