Kremlin says Putin is ready to discuss peace in Ukraine but wants to achieve goals
Peskov said that the world was now accustomed to US President Donald Trump's sometimes 'harsh' rhetoric but pointed out that Trump had also underscored in comments on Russia that he would continue to search for a peace deal.
'President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,' Peskov said told state television reporter Pavel Zarubin.
'The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear,' Peskov said.
On Monday, Trump announced a tougher stance on Russia, pledging a new wave of military aid to Ukraine, including Patriot missile defence systems. He also gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face additional sanctions.
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Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
US House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee passes first round of anti-SA Bill
The Bill calls for a review of US-SA relations and for sanctions against the South African government and ANC leaders. A Bill that would require the Trump administration to conduct a full review of US-South Africa relations and to identify South African government and ANC leaders eligible for sanctions, passed the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee this week. The committee passed the 'US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025' by a vote of 34-16, with 28 Republicans and six Democrats supporting it and only Democrats opposing. It will now go to the full House of Representatives, where observers believe it will pass. It envisages SA government and ANC leaders being sanctioned under America's Global Magnitsky Act, which imposes financial and visa restrictions on individuals deemed guilty of human rights abuses or corruption. The Bill would also require the US Administration to determine if South Africa has undermined US national security or foreign policy interests. 'Aligning with America's adversaries' The Bill cites a long list of actions by the ANC government which it says have offended the US, centred on its good relations with Russia, China and Iran, and its hostility to Israel and Taiwan. The Bill was introduced by Texan Republican Ronny Jackson, a firm supporter of President Donald Trump. He told the committee that South Africa, while claiming to be non-aligned, had recently abandoned the US and its allies by increasingly aligning with America's adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and Iranian military proxies such as Hamas. He cited SA hosting the Chinese government's Confucius Institutes, conducting military exercises with China and Russia, and its alleged involvement in efforts to downgrade the US dollar. He also said, 'South Africa is systematically going after our partners and allies.' He cited its downgrading of Taiwan's presence in the country, 'falsely accusing the State of Israel of genocide at the illegitimate International Criminal Court and mimicking Iran's disgusting dismissal of the atrocities committed by Hamas on October the 7th' (the date of the attack by Hamas on southern Israel). Jackson said 'extreme politicians from the African National Congress have led efforts to target Afrikaners'. Daily Maverick recently revealed that the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) was a significant donor to Jackson, the sponsor of the Bill, and several other members of Congress hostile to SA. Of the six Democrats who voted for the Bill in the Foreign Affairs Committee, Brad Sherman and Jared Moskowitz are known to be strong Israel supporters. Bill Keating and George Latimer represent districts with large Jewish populations and Ted Lieu was born in Taiwan. Gregory Meeks, senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee and most other Democrats on the committee, strongly opposed the Bill. Meeks said SA acted as a leader not only among African countries, but also on the world stage – and was this year chairing the G20. The US and SA had a long history of partnership, which the Bill 'will not help to deepen or further'. 'South Africa has taken a number of foreign policy positions that I happen not to agree with. But in mature relations between countries, we can deal with those differences through diplomacy and dialogue. This legislation does just the opposite, taking a heavy hand'. He said, 'President Trump has already disproportionately targeted South Africa. He's done this by trying to embarrass President Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, with faulty evidence of purported atrocities in the country, by instituting an executive order cutting all US assistance in the country, and putting in its place a special refugee resettlement programme for Afrikaners. 'Glaring hypocrisy' 'And at the same time, he's blocking the resettlement of literally all other refugees to the United States… This is glaring hypocrisy.' Jackson's Bill is an updated version of a Bill which was introduced last year, but which ran out of time when Congress ended before elections in November.
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
Dear Mzansi, embrace your pride in SA; you're doing a better job than the US
Dear South Africa, I'm an American. A guest in your country for more than a decade. I love this country very much, and feel its experience has a lot to offer the modern world. I was born in the Middle East to a Colombian and an American. I chose to become an American when I had to make a choice, then joined the Marine Corps to represent and defend its ideals — ideals I now find reflected more in South Africa than in the United States. Please forgive me for allowing my pronouns to slip into 'we' as I increasingly define Mzansi as my home. I see South Africa as a nation striving, imperfectly but sincerely, to become more inclusive, more accountable and more united. And I feel it's time someone said plainly: you're doing a better job than most, and certainly better than Americans at the moment. In my country, a dishonest, divisive and dangerous narrative was used to implement policy. President Donald Trump's rhetoric around South Africa was a self-serving distortion of reality. He fed conspiracy theories, and inflamed ethno-nationalist sentiment at home and abroad. My American pride is challenged with betrayal – not by our leaders who can justify their actions with rational self-interest, but by my fellow Americans. I see a troubling acceptance of falsehoods used to justify narratives and personal gain. America is an institution, and institutions thrive on shared values, enabling us to build trust and debate nuanced issues with respect and honesty. Without integrity, what we say no longer matters. We cannot communicate. Instead, we're reduced to shouting matches and entrenched division. These falsehoods resonate, not because they're plausible and attractive to the agenda of a few, but because Americans have become willing to accept lies over truth. It is perhaps the telltale sign of inevitable decline – reinforcing the historical evidence that great empires and nations survive and begin to fail within 250 years (the United States celebrates 249 this year). When counterparties give up on the pursuit of truth with complete candour, communication becomes impossible, and relationships and the institutions that surround them inevitably slip further into decline. Americans are accepting falsehoods, and we will continue to lose global relevance with each passing day until this stops. Americans must accept that President Trump isn't the cause of our institutional decay; it is us, ourselves. South Africa, this is a mistake you must never make: do not allow politicians to weave even self-serving falsehoods into their narratives. Collectively, South Africans must channel empathy and communicate with transparent candour – especially when the truth is inconvenient and challenges the comfort of our own tribes. White farm murders are no more part of a coordinated plot to wipe out white people than the collapse of the education system is part of a grand conspiracy to suppress black economic mobility. What we face is not malice; it is collective negligence. We must pool our strengths and live out the principle South Africans are famous for, and make a plan – together! Similarly, communities of colour must also reject any shoots of entitlement and a victim mindset. The narrative that white South Africans are responsible for holding them back obscures the more urgent and fixable truth that invites collaboration across communities. Corruption, incompetence and disengagement at the municipal level are what keep schools underperforming, police ineffective and infrastructure decaying. It is our own communities that allow illegal dumping to turn neighbourhoods into toxic environments, where children grow up surrounded by squalor and neglect. I posit that those South African 'refugees' welcomed by Trump are suffering most from disconnection and isolation from the rest of South Africa. This is itself a systemic vestige of an apartheid past which produces echo chambers: insular spaces where fear, entitlement and victim mindsets go unchallenged. But it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, I believe South Africa has a different path in front of it, and one to which the world should be paying attention. I've noticed how South Africans pedestal things that come from 'overseas'. Whether it's policies, products or personalities, there's a subtle but persistent inferiority complex that creeps into conversations. South Africans should be proud of what they have. What you've built, despite extraordinary odds, is awesome, unique and worth continuing to fight for. South Africa's multicultural realities should not be ignored. The formation of the Government of National Unity is an encouraging big step towards reconciliation, integration and cooperation. Yes, there's dysfunction. Yes, there's corruption. But there is also debate, accountability, civic participation and the pursuit of deeper understanding. And that matters. I see an opportunity to break these silos by building intentional, cross-cultural relationships by addressing shared threats: criminal syndicates, gender-based violence, plastic pollution, extortion, the obesity epidemic and, yes, even farm murders, which, like the violence on the Cape Flats and rural areas, keep communities living in fear. By leveraging shared interests, we can move beyond self-pity and see ourselves as part of a broader society. Purposely aligning cross-cultural teams brings together perspectives and skills to holistically address inherently complex issues as united neighbours while developing deeper meaningful relationships. I posit the most real opportunity to create cross-cultural task forces is to protect what matters most: our youth. After more than 30 years working with youth, I've seen how people quickly drop tribal lenses and start identifying as concerned citizens when we recognise this shared priority: society's children. That means recognising that South Africa is a society of broken families that must be intentional about stepping in where families cannot. It means prioritising and nurturing safe early childhood development centres; demanding well-trained, excellent teachers; developing internship programmes in our companies that bring youth into professional networks beyond their families' reach; and offering access to clean and secure public spaces. These should not be luxuries. They are the foundations of a just society that instils confidence and empowers youth. By creating opportunities for youth to communicate across cultures, we pave the way for earnest communication. This sets the stage for the precise opposite of what faces the United States in its visible decline: a South Africa where a generation of young people can communicate with candour and with the skills necessary to collaborate to tackle complex issues. We need them to participate in the obstacles of the moment and navigate the unseen challenges ahead. Thank you for welcoming me as a guest into your country, your conversations, your communities. If the world is looking for leadership in this new century – not in military might or economic dominance, but in humility, complexity and moral clarity – I believe deeply multicultural South Africa has something powerful to offer … provided we leverage candour and kindness to ' maak 'n plan '. Call to action Protect things that matter. Defend the truth. Become a guardian of this country's future. Act in the name of all our children. Get involved with schools and youth programmes – especially if you're reading this, consider communities beyond your own. Inclusively ensure all children have access to the things we know to be important, and along the way never forget a core concept of the institutions we all trust – ' ductus exemplo ': to lead by example. We can only teach our youth to communicate with candour and integrity with people who are radically different from themselves … by doing it ourselves.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
ANC appeals to US Democrats to prevent sanctions against its leaders
President Cyril Ramaphosa is at risk of being sanctioned by the US for accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide against Palestine in Gaza. Image: Supplied / GCIS The ANC is pinning its hope on the United States of America's Democrats, who opposed the apartheid government, to protect its leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, from a bill that empowers President Donald Trump to sanction them. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri revealed this on Wednesday afternoon following news that the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees of the US House of Representatives passed the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 that would sanction certain ANC members. It is now due to be sent to the full House of Representatives, where parliamentarians will vote for it. Among those who would be victims of the bill is Ramaphosa, who, according to international media, publicly accused the Israeli government of committing genocide against residents of Gaza on October 14, 2023. 'There are many Democrats, including those who were part of the anti-apartheid movements, who will stand up to caution Americans against supporting a president (Trump) who wants to censor and undermine the sovereignty of other nations,' said Bhengu-Motsiri. Next Stay Close ✕ Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC would vigorously oppose an attempt to isolate it from the rest of the nation by reimposing sanctions against it. 'Remember, we come from a history where sanctions were imposed against the apartheid system. 'But also the ANC was isolated by some of those countries that were working closely with the apartheid government, including the United States,' she said. She was hoping that the bill, which was currently at the proposal stage, would not be passed into law. According to the international media, United States Congressman Ronny Jackson has introduced the bill that seeks to punish the ANC leaders for supporting America's enemies, such as China, Russia, and Iran. 'South Africa has brazenly abandoned its relationship with the United States to align with China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist organisations, a betrayal that demands serious consequences,' Daily Investor quoted Jackson. Certain ANC leaders, who are predicted to be the target of the bill, have been accused of mismanaging South Africa's state resources, which led to the poor performance of state-owned entities such as Eskom, resulting in load shedding, and Transnet's failure to operate train transport. Trump had earlier this year signed an executive order threatening to punish South Africa for Ramaphosa signing the Expropriation Act and Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which angered Afrikaners who alleged that these laws would strip them of their farming land, destroy their school system and language, and deprive them of employment opportunities. Trump also accused the country of orchestrating the genocide against Afrikaners, whom he gave free entry into his country as refugees. In trying to mitigate the situation, Ramaphosa led a delegation, comprising DA leader John Steenhuisen and senior businessman Johan Rupert, to negotiate with Trump.
