Trump speaks about Zelensky when having a meeting with Ramaphosa

During his meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Donald Trump told a story about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He recounted it with a smile.

This information was revealed during the leaders' meeting on Wednesday, May 21.

Trump told about his call to Zelensky

The meeting, which took place at the White House, focused on discussing peace initiatives regarding Ukraine and potential US support for these efforts.

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Trump recounted a phone conversation in which he had tried to contact Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I called Zelenskyy, and they said: "He's in South Africa". I said: "What the hell is he doing in South Africa?" Trump joked, causing the audience to laugh.

In turn, Ramaphosa admitted that during his meeting with Zelensky, he reminded the Ukrainian president of Nelson Mandela's legacy and tried to convince him to negotiate with Russia without preconditions.

As a reminder, in the United States, the bipartisan group of senators led by Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar introduced the resolution. It emphasizes that the return of illegally taken Ukrainian children should be a prerequisite for any peace deal with Russia.

Also, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone with the newly appointed NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte. They discussed security issues, steps to deter Russian aggression, and the format of negotiations on a possible ceasefire.