Frosty relations begin to melt as Ramaphosa, Trump hold first call
The relationship between Washington and Pretoria has frayed significantly since Trump resumed office in January.
After months of diplomatic chill, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump held their first phone call since Trump's return to the White House — a tentative step toward repairing strained ties between the two countries.
Ramaphosa, writing on X (formerly Twitter), confirmed the outreach on Thursday.
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"We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths... [and] to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations," he said, referring to the conflict in Ukraine.
The relationship between Washington and Pretoria has frayed significantly since Trump resumed office in January.
In one of his earliest foreign policy moves, Trump expelled South Africa's ambassador and suspended financial aid — a dramatic rebuke tied to Pretoria's controversial land reform policy and its decision to pursue a genocide case against Israel, a longstanding US ally, at the International Court of Justice.
The call, though brief, marks a significant diplomatic pivot.
While Pretoria has sought to maintain a non-aligned posture on Ukraine, Washington has grown impatient with what it sees as South Africa's increasingly adversarial tone on global issues, particularly those involving Western allies.
The White House has not issued a formal readout of the call, and it remains unclear whether Trump's administration is prepared to reverse course on aid or diplomatic relations.
However, the agreement to meet suggests a potential thaw — or at least the start of a pragmatic recalibration.
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