By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa and Ukraine have agreed to keep talking, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday, after a conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“I talked on the phone with the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky thanked South Africa for sending a representative to the Peace Formula meetings. He also informed Ramaphosa about the preparations for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.
“I discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. We agreed to continue contacts at various levels,” added the head of Ukraine.
As reported earlier, in January, Zelensky and President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd agreed on starting preparations for holding the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland at the level of state leaders.
Ukraine has already organized several meetings on the Peace Formula at the level of advisors to heads of state, with the participation of dozens of countries. The main goal is to involve as many countries as possible in supporting such an initiative.
Recently, the head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, suggested that Russia could be allowed to participate in meetings on the Peace Formula.The readiness to discuss this issue will be at the second Global Peace Summit.
Meanwhile Zelensky has praised the US senate for granting $60 billion of aid to the war-torn country.
Tensions were high as the push for the deal held the Senate floor through the night with pushback from a small group insisting the US should prioritise its own problems before sending money overseas.
Zelensky said: “For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror. It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war.”
More than a dozen Republicans voted with almost all Democrats to pass the package 70-29, with supporters arguing that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and threaten global national security.