South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday he would invite Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky soon to discuss an "inclusive peace process" to end a conflict sparked by Russia's 2022 invasion, AFP reported.
While South Africa has sought to display neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine, it has been accused of leaning towards Moscow.
"I welcome the constructive engagement I had with President @ZelenskyyUA and I look forward to hosting him in South Africa soon for a state visit," Ramaphosa said on X.
The two leaders had agreed on "the urgent need for an inclusive peace process that involves all parties," Ramaphosa said.
"South Africa remains committed to supporting the dialogue process between Russia and Ukraine," he said.
Zelensky meanwhile thanked Ramaphosa for supporting "Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and said he hoped for peace this year.
"It is important that our countries share the same position: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We all hope to achieve a just and lasting peace this year. South Africa’s voice matters, and we count on its support," he wrote.
The offer comes amid heavy criticism of moves by Russia and the United States to negotiate an end to the war through talks where neither Ukraine nor its European allies were invited.
In October, Ramaphosa described Russia as "valuable friends and allies" during a summit of the BRICS grouping of major emerging economies that was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ramaphosa held talks Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of top diplomats of the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies in Johannesburg.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the two-day meeting in South Africa, the current G20 president, after accusing Pretoria of an "anti-Americanism" agenda.
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