Pretoria: South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that he and US President Donald Trump have reached a consensus on the necessity of ending the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ramaphosa shared this development on X, emphasizing the urgency of bringing the conflict to a close to prevent further casualties.

According to Anadolu Agency, the discussion between the two leaders coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's state visit to South Africa. Zelenskyy had to adjust his schedule, cutting short his visit due to recent Russian airstrikes in Ukraine, necessitating his earlier return.

Ramaphosa further revealed plans for a future meeting with Trump to discuss pressing matters concerning the relationship between the US and South Africa. This comes in the wake of diplomatic tensions stirred last month when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared South Africa's ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata. This was a response to Rasool's critical remarks about Trump's policies, which he labeled as a "white supremacist response" to demographic changes in the US.

Additionally, Trump has recently taken steps affecting US-South Africa relations, including signing an executive order to reduce financial assistance to South Africa. This decision was based on concerns over South Africa's land expropriation policies, its legal actions against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and its growing ties with Iran.

In parallel diplomatic efforts, Ramaphosa engaged in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, with both leaders expressing a commitment to seeking a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict.