By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised that peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia must begin without preconditions, saying an unconditional ceasefire is the critical first step to ending the war that has gripped Eastern Europe for over two years.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a joint media briefing on Thursday, Ramaphosa hailed Ukraine’s expressed willingness to agree to a ceasefire without preconditions as a “very positive signal”.
He urged global powers to support the momentum towards peace.
“We believe the issues of territory and other sticking points should be addressed at the negotiating table, not set as conditions to start dialogue,” Ramaphosa said in Pretoria.
“South Africa’s own history showed us that meaningful negotiations begin without preconditions. We ended apartheid not by demanding preconditions, but by coming to the table and letting solutions emerge through dialogue.”
Ramaphosa also underscored the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in
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