Ramaphosa Extends State Visit Invitation to Isolated Zelenskiy

President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a state visit to South Africa, signaling diplomatic support as the Ukrainian leader faces increasing isolation from the United States. Ramaphosa’s office confirmed this week that the invitation was extended on January 15, with hopes that the visit will take place soon.

“The president wants that visit to happen as soon as possible,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, emphasizing South Africa’s commitment to an inclusive diplomatic process in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The invitation follows Ramaphosa and Zelenskiy’s meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last September and the World Economic Forum in Davos in November. Although no official date has been set, Ramaphosa has instructed diplomats to prioritize arrangements for the visit.

This development comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv. On Tuesday, the US initiated peace talks with Russia, excluding Ukraine from the discussions, a move that has raised concerns in Europe about a settlement that could favor Russian President Vladimir Putin. Former US President Donald Trump further signaled a possible shift in American policy, questioning Ukraine’s territorial claims and calling Zelenskiy “a dictator.”

Ukraine’s exclusion from talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has heightened apprehension about Washington’s stance, particularly after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed Kyiv’s NATO aspirations and labeled the prospect of restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders as “unrealistic.” Trump’s controversial assertion that Ukraine instigated the war has further strained relations.

Magwenya reiterated South Africa’s position that peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine’s direct involvement in negotiations. “No peace can hold unless all parties are involved, and they have to be involved equally in the process. That is the only way in which you can resolve a conflict in a manner that is long-lasting,” he said.

As South Africa prepares to host a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, the diplomatic rift between the US and South Africa is becoming more pronounced. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has opted to skip the event, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to attend and is expected to brief Ramaphosa on the Riyadh talks.

Meanwhile, European leaders hastily convened in Paris to respond to Trump’s engagement with Putin and Washington’s decision to pursue negotiations without them. Magwenya stressed the importance of including European nations in any peace talks, reinforcing South Africa’s stance on multilateral diplomacy.

The G20 meeting presents an opportunity for South Africa to solidify its leadership role in global economic and diplomatic affairs. European Commission President Antonio Costa recently expressed support for South Africa, calling it a “reliable and predictable partner.”

With Trump’s administration cutting donor aid to South Africa and engaging with far-right European parties, diplomatic tensions continue to mount. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked US Deputy President JD Vance’s recent endorsement of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, affirming that his country would not tolerate any normalization of extremist ideologies.

As the geopolitical landscape shifts, South Africa’s invitation to Zelenskiy highlights its effort to champion an inclusive peace process, resisting external pressures to dictate the terms of resolution. The world will be watching to see if and when Zelenskiy accepts Ramaphosa’s invitation, and what it could mean for Ukraine’s global alliances moving forward.