PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he will cut short an official visit to South Africa because of a major Russian attack on Kyiv overnight.
Zelenskyy still held a planned meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the government's Union Buildings in Pretoria but said on his Telegram page that he would return home after that.
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rescue workers carry the body of a victim found under the rubble after a Russian strike in a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
Rescue workers clear the rubble from a house heavily damaged after a Russian strike in a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
In this photo released by South African Government Communications and Information Services (GCIS), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Pretoria, South Africa, for a state visit where he will meet South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/GCIS via AP)
Ramaphosa greeted Zelenskyy on the steps of the Union Buildings and they shook hands and briefly posed for photographs before going inside.
Zelenskyy arrived in South Africa late Wednesday night just as Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital that killed at least nine people and injured more than 70.
Zelenskyy's trip came as U.S. President Donald Trump made new accusations against him, saying he was prolonging the three-year war by pushing back against any plan to give up territory in any peace deal. Zelenskyy has refused to cede illegally occupied Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan.
Trump said that Zelenskyy was prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to give up Crimea.
Peace negotiations have appeared to stall. Talks involving U.S., European and Ukrainian officials in London on Wednesday were scaled down and made limited progress after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his attendance, raising doubts about the direction of negotiations.
Zelenskyy wrote on X before he announced he was changing his plans that the visit to South Africa would contribute to efforts “to bring a just peace closer” and was part of a diplomatic effort to engage members of the Group of 20 developed and developing nations. South Africa holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year.
Ramaphosa has put himself forward as a possible mediator in the war due to South Africa’s ties with Russia through the BRICS bloc of developing nations. Ramaphosa has said he is one of the few leaders that can talk to both sides, although his efforts have produced little concrete progress.
Ramaphosa spoke on a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and the two leaders had “committed to working together towards a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.” Ramaphosa posted on X on Thursday that he had also spoken with Trump over the peace process and “we both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible.”
Ramaphosa said he and Trump had agreed to meet soon, both over the Russia-Ukraine war and South Africa's bilateral relations with the U.S., which have deteriorated since Trump came into office.
Zelenskyy has questioned Russia’s commitment to peace, saying an Easter ceasefire announced by Putin was not genuine and Moscow continued to launch attacks on Ukraine.
He has repeatedly said that giving up Ukrainian territory for a peace deal is not acceptable to his country.
“There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said this week in response to the U.S. proposal.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rescue workers carry the body of a victim found under the rubble after a Russian strike in a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
Rescue workers clear the rubble from a house heavily damaged after a Russian strike in a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
In this photo released by South African Government Communications and Information Services (GCIS), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Pretoria, South Africa, for a state visit where he will meet South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/GCIS via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”
New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.
"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.
The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.
Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.
Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”
“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.
State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”
The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.
It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
