Zelensky holds phone call with South African President

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 13. The two talked about “the peace formula, about justice, and about how our world should be united by the rules of international law.”

“Anyone who helps the aggressor with weapons will be an accomplice with all consequences,” Zelensky said during his evening address from Rome.

Earlier, the U.S. accused South Africa of supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia.

U.S. officials were “confident” that “weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the Lady R, a Russian vessel under sanctions that docked at Simon’s Town naval dockyard near Cape Town in December,” the Financial Times reported.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told lawmakers that the matter was being looked into and would be discussed “in time.”

On May 12, South Africa said it “didn’t approve any arms to Russia.”

According to Reuters, officials didn’t specify whether an unapproved shipment had left the country.

During the phone call, Zelensky called on Ramaphosa “to join together with other countries, all continents, Africa the joint work to implement [Ukrainian] peace formula.”

South Africa denies it supplied weapons, ammunition to Russia

South Africa denied U.S. accusations that it had supplied Russia with weapons and ammunition, Reuters reported on May 12.

Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk