Zelensky Jets Out Of Sa Early - The Shocking Reason Why

Pretoria - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to South Africa on Thursday, cut short after deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv, underscores a shift in Pretoria's stance on Russia's invasion, which it had initially refused to condemn.

Zelensky arrived in Pretoria but announced on social media he would "return to Ukraine immediately after the meeting with the President of South Africa" following overnight attacks that killed at least nine people in the Ukrainian capital.

His first visit to Africa takes place just weeks after South Africa joined for the first time a UN General Assembly resolution criticising Russia for the war.

The UN's February resolution "reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity" against "the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation".

Zelensky said on X that he would still brief Ramaphosa as South Africa holds the G20 presidency and counted on 'support in humanitarian matters".