France, Aug. 24 -- South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is stepping up his diplomacy, engaging President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders in a renewed drive for peace efforts in Ukraine

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed himself more firmly on the diplomatic stage, holding a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday that touched on the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and other pressing global crises.

Posting on X, Macron said their discussion covered "the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine in the context of Monday's meeting in Washington, as well as the situation in the Great Lakes region".

The two leaders agreed to meet again in September on the margins of the United Na...