Ukraine hopes the visit to South Africa by President Volodymyr Zelensky this week will lead to Pretoria’s condemnation of Russia’s war on its soil, says ambassador Liubov Abravitova.
It also anticipates Zelensky’s meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa will secure an invitation for Zelensky to attend the G20 summit later this year, she told the Sunday Times.
The visit — Zelensky's first to Africa — is a culmination of engagements between the two heads of state who have met for bilaterals at world events, including the UN General Assembly and the World Economic Forum.
South Africa’s close ties with the Kremlin have been a point of contention between the two countries as Ukraine and its allies in the West have attempted to pressure Pretoria to drop its non-aligned stance and condemn the Russian invasion.
The relations were also affected by unfounded accusations made by the US ambassador in 2023 that South Africa had loaded arms destined for Russia at the height of the war.
Abravitova said Kyiv believes an understanding of the situation and Russia’s position by the South African government will come with time and dialogue.
The world has sad pages of history of having dual standards towards very similar situations, but reacting differently, and maybe the lesson will be learnt by everyone, including Ukraine, that the law must be equal for everyone
— Liubov Abravitova, Ukraine ambassador to SA
“I believe we have evolved since February 24 2022 [the date of the Russian invasion] to where we are today. I believe Ukraine better understands South Africa’s position today ... and that what we have to promote is dialogue.
“I believe that we will see South Africa officially condemn the killing of Ukrainian people... Russia not only does not show the will to stop its aggression and stop the war and [the] killing of Ukrainian people, but it even goes harder with both land and air strikes in Ukraine.
“The scope of people affected is huge, we are in mourning, and this is on top of engagements around discussions to bring the war to an end. Ukrainian counterparts in other parts of the world, Africa, Latin America, Asia can see the real face of Russia, can see that we are in a war for survival and the only way to stop it is to condemn the violation of international law and to stand in support of the territorial integrity of countries.
“The world has sad pages of history of having dual standards towards very similar situations, but reacting differently, and maybe the lesson will be learnt by everyone, including Ukraine, that the law must be equal for everyone,” she said.
Ukraine’s relationship with the US has taken a nosedive since President Donald Trump returned to power. He has blamed Ukraine for triggering the war and accused Zelensky of taking advantage of the US.
The Trump administration has also been hostile towards Pretoria, accusing the government of human rights violations and threatening to impose 30% tariffs on South African exports to the US.
Abravitova said bilateral agreements, ties, friendships and strategies were now even more important, adding that in the past Pretoria and Kyiv were not on each other's economic and trade radar.
“This route is underestimated and has potential. We are not going to compete or replace anyone but we can be very efficient for each other's sustainable development. US tariffs push us beyond the boundaries of how we can be stronger in our self-sustainability. If you want to survive, if you want to be able to protect yourself, you cannot count on someone else. You have to be able to stand up with your army, with your production of protective measures, to stand against external pressure.”
Abravitova said she hoped Zelensky would be invited to attend the G20 summit, as Kyiv believes the platform could assist in its mission to contribute to the sustainable development of the world, particularly in terms of food security.
“We can be useful. We are the first country in the world to recognise the digital passport. Because of the war, we had to digitise ourselves. We know it's crucial in Africa. We can share the experience and the knowledge, and we can offer the technology.
“We can be part of discussions; we can be in working groups. I'm confident and very excited about the opportunity that stands in front of Ukraine and Africa in general. I believe that Ukraine and South Africa have huge opportunities in science and technology, education, digitalisation and many many others.”
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