PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in South Africa for a state visit Thursday following U.S. President Donald Trump’s new accusations that he is prolonging the war against Russia by pushing back against any plan to give up Ukrainian territory in a peace deal.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said during a visit by Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday that peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow should start without preconditions such as Ukraine ceding land to Russia.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is on a historic visit to South Africa, signalling a dramatic improvement in the once-strained relations between the two nations. The visit marks a diplomatic breakthrough for the Ukrainian leader in his efforts to counter Russia's strong - and growing - influence in Africa.