Ukrainian

But French was historically the language of diplomacy so the President of les États-Unis may well be some distance from his Ukrainian counterpart.

His remarks were believed to be in response to a proposal by the Ukrainian president for the 30-hour Easter truce to be extended for 30 days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Any change to Ukraine's territory has to go to a national referendum, which must be authorised by the Ukrainian parliament.

Zelensky's visit to South Africa marks a diplomatic breakthrough for the Ukrainian leader in his efforts to counter Russia's growing influence in Africa.