Ramaphosa discusses Ukraine war with Putin, says SA pushed 'balance approach'

'President Putin appreciated our balanced approach. We believe this position enables both parties to subject the conflict to mediation & negotiation,' Ramaphosa tweeted.

10 March 2022 - 20:43
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President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that he had held telephonic talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the ongoing Ukraine war.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that he had held telephonic talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the ongoing Ukraine war.
Image: @CyrilRamaphosa via Twitter

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday evening confirmed that had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the conflict in Ukraine. 

In a string of tweets, Ramaphosa said he was “thanking his excellency President Vladimir Putin for taking my call today, so I could gain an understanding of the situation that was unfolding between Russia and Ukraine”.

During the call, Ramaphosa said, he outlined SA's position on the conflict that has unfolded as well as SA's belief “that the conflict should be resolved through mediation and negotiation between the parties and — if need be — with the help of agencies that can help bring a solution to the conflict”.

The Sunday Times reported that SA’s decision to abstain during a UN General Assembly motion to reprimand Russia last week had upset Ukraine, the US and the EU.

Of the assembly's 193 members, 141 voted in favour of the resolution to censure Russia. Thirty-five members, including SA and China, abstained and five countries — Russia, Syria, Belarus, North Korea and Eritrea — voted against the resolution. While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight.

SA has maintained that the resolution “does not create an environment conducive for diplomacy, dialogue and mediation”.

LISTEN | Ukraine-Russia: 'SA’s fence-sitting reflects a lack of principles'

When the conflict broke out Ramaphosa was reportedly angered by his international relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor, who released a statement calling for Russia to withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine.

It was believed that Pandor's statement contradicted Ramaphosa's position on the matter.

In a tweet on Thursday, Ramaphosa said: “President Putin appreciated our balanced approach. We believe this position enables both parties to subject the conflict to mediation & negotiation. Based on our relations with the Russian Federation & as member of Brics, SA has been approached to play a mediation role.”

TimesLIVE


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