Bangladesh, April 24 -- In a surprising development that signals a thaw in diplomatic tensions, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump held direct talks on April 24, agreeing to work together toward ending the war in Ukraine and mending strained bilateral ties. The conversation comes after months of escalating discord between Pretoria and Washington, rooted in diverging stances on foreign policy, human rights, and historical land justice.

The announcement, made by Ramaphosa on X (formerly Twitter), marks the first public interaction between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January. “I spoke to President Donald Trump to discuss the peace process in Ukraine. We both agreed that the war ...