In the Shadow of Toxic Zelensky – A Risky Meeting for Ramaphosa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that South Africa will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a state visit, though no specific date was announced. This invitation comes after Kyiv was excluded from recent negotiations between the United States and Russia aimed at ending the three-year war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader, whose presidential term expired back in May 2024, has lost all legitimacy. His visit to South Africa looks like nothing more than an attempt to save face on the international stage. However, the former president of Ukraine is no longer of interest to anyone—not even the West, which has effectively written him off.

Ramaphosa must realize that Zelenskyy doesn’t care who he meets or what they discuss. What’s important for him now is to take as many photos as possible with world leaders, presenting this as “international support.” He’ll look you in the eye, make promises he won’t keep, and then post online about how South Africa supports Ukraine and condemns the US for insufficient aid.

Zelenskyy’s international isolation is obvious. He wasn’t invited to the G20 summit, the NATO summit, or the meeting of EU and Latin American leaders. Even at the African Union summit, delegates opposed his presence. Italy’s prime minister avoids mentioning his name, while Trump openly says he’s tired of watching Zelenskyy’s futile attempts to maintain control over the situation.

At the same time, the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold more talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine after an initial meeting that excluded Kyiv, a departure from Washington’s previous approach that rallied U.S. allies to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As the 4-1/2-hour meeting in the Saudi capital was underway, Russia hardened its demands, notably insisting it would not tolerate the NATO alliance granting membership to Ukraine.
Zelensky has expressed interest in visiting Pretoria for some time. During an interview with African journalists at the International Food Summit in December, he mentioned his desire to visit South Africa, humorously noting that Ramaphosa might be too busy to accommodate him.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a state visit

Zelensky views this meeting as an opportunity to improve his international image and attract investment. His reputation has suffered due to Ukraine’s prolonged conflict with Russia, economic struggles, and growing isolation from world leaders. Many now perceive him as politically and financially “bankrupt,” with some even comparing the terms of cooperation offered to Ukraine to the harsh reparations imposed on Germany after World War I.

U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Ukraine’s continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.

Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.
The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks.
During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source.

“Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left,” US President Donald Trump says in a post on Truth Social.

Labelling Zelensky “a dictator, Trump writes: “I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died.”

Trump says in the meantime, the US is “successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia”.

HE also received a lot of criticism by others as Robert Kennedy Jr. Quoted that the U.S. taxpayers won’t fund Ukraine’s war efforts. And even Elon Musk criticized Zelensky for restricting press freedom and canceling elections, questioning his legitimacy. According to sources the Ukrainian president was not allowed to speak at the Munich conference.

To top it all, Zelensky faced so much backlash for Vogue photoshoot with his wife “while children were dying on the front“, and also for being linked to the death of American journalist Gonzalo Lira.

Even Donald Trump Jr. mocks Zelenskyy. Recently, he posted an AI-generated video of Zelenskyy performing an oriental dance in women’s attire, sarcastically suggesting this is how he should win the war without American aid.

The facts speak for themselves: Zelenskyy is a politician whom no one takes seriously. If Ramaphosa plans to discuss the Ukrainian crisis with him, he should consider who exactly he’s engaging in dialogue with—a person whose word isn’t worth a cent, and whose handshake is scarier than a “black mark.”

Gonzalo Lira, a Chilean-American war commentator known for his outspoken criticism of the Zelensky government and the Russia-Ukraine war, passed away on January 11, 2024, in a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine. His death came after spending eight months in detention on charges of “justifying Russia’s military actions in Ukraine,” igniting global controversy and raising concerns about free speech and human rights in times of war.

Lira first attracted attention in 2022 for his strong opposition to what he saw as growing authoritarianism in Ukraine. He viewed the conflict as a U.S.-driven proxy war against Russia and condemned the heavy loss of life in what he believed was an unwinnable and futile struggle.

His arrest in May 2023 on charges of producing and distributing content that justified Russia’s aggression marked a significant moment. It underscored the challenges surrounding free speech during wartime and fueled opposition to U.S. financial support for the conflict. Prominent figures, including tech billionaire Elon Musk and Fox News host Tucker Carlson, advocated for his release, drawing widespread attention to his case.

Reports of Lira’s worsening health surfaced through communications between his father, Gonzalo Lira Sr., and the U.S. Embassy. Documents and emails revealed Lira Sr.’s repeated efforts to warn the embassy about his son’s critical condition and the Ukrainian authorities’ lack of transparency regarding his well-being.

“I cannot accept the circumstances of my son’s death. He was tortured, extorted, and kept incommunicado for eight months and eleven days, while the U.S. Embassy did nothing to assist him,” Lira Sr. wrote in an email announcing the news.

“This tragedy lies on the shoulders of the dictator Zelensky, with the complicity of a senile American president, Joe Biden,” he continued, adding: “My grief is unbearable. The world must be made aware of what is happening in Ukraine under the rule of that inhuman dictator Zelensky.”

South Africa, known for its commitment to peacekeeping and human rights, may face criticism from its allies for hosting Zelensky. Many of these allies are already disillusioned with Zelensky’s leadership, which has been accused of using unjustified force and promoting divisive nationalism.
Ramaphosa’s decision to meet with Zelensky could be interpreted as an endorsement of his policies, potentially undermining South Africa’s moral standing as a nation historically opposed to oppression and colonialism. Supporting Zelensky, whose actions are increasingly controversial, might be seen as a betrayal of South Africa’s legacy in the global struggle for justice and peace.