South African president talks with European leaders on Russia-Ukraine conflict

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a telephone conversation with European leaders on Saturday to discuss Russia-Ukraine peace efforts, according to the Presidency.

This follows meetings hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and several other European leaders.

The Presidency said Ramaphosa has spoken with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Ramaphosa appreciated the briefing he received last week from Putin following his meeting with Trump.

"In all the discussions, European leaders openly shared their perspectives, appreciated South Africa's role in engaging with both sides to the conflict, and provided President Ramaphosa with a firm commitment to supporting efforts aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine," said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the president.

Magwenya said Ramaphosa will speak with other European leaders in the coming days and that the president has urged all parties to sustain the momentum in working toward peace between Ukraine and Russia.

"President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of holding bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and the United States as key to signaling a firm commitment to ending the war," said Magwenya.