Ukraine's Zelenskyy arrives in South Africa for state visit following Trump's renewed criticism

PRETORIA – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived successful South Africa for a authorities sojourn Thursday pursuing U.S. President Donald Trump's caller accusations that helium is prolonging the warfare against Russia by pushing backmost against immoderate program to springiness up Ukrainian territory successful a bid deal.

Zelenskyy landed successful South Africa overnight and was traveling astir the clip Trump said the Ukrainian person was prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to cede illegally occupied Crimea to Russia arsenic portion of a imaginable bid plan.

While Zelenskyy was traveling, a large-scale Russian rocket and drone attack deed Kyiv, sidesplitting 9 radical and injuring different 63, including six children, Ukrainian authorities said.

Peace negotiations implicit ending war, present successful its 4th year, person appeared to stall. Talks involving U.S., European and Ukrainian officials successful London connected Wednesday were scaled down and made constricted advancement aft U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his attendance, raising doubts astir the absorption of negotiations.

Zelenskyy volition conscionable with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa astatine the authorities Union Buildings successful Pretoria aboriginal Thursday and their discussions volition see “areas of practice with the nonsubjective to enactment efforts to bring lasting peace,” according to Ramaphosa's office.

Ramaphosa has enactment himself guardant arsenic a imaginable mediator successful the warfare owed to South Africa's ties with Russia done the BRICS bloc of processing nations, though his efforts person produced small factual progress.

Ramaphosa said helium spoke connected a telephone telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Monday and the 2 leaders had “committed to moving unneurotic towards a peaceful solution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.”

Zelenskyy has questioned Russia's committedness to peace, saying an Easter ceasefire announced by Putin was not genuine and Moscow continued to motorboat attacks connected Ukraine.

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