2023-06-17 13:19:32
After Kiev, the African delegation is Saturday in Saint Petersburg (north-west of Russia) to meet Vladimir Putin in order to initiate negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, despite the rejection by Volodymyr Zelensky of his offer of mediation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who heads this delegation, was the first to arrive in the former Russian imperial capital on Saturday “to seek a path to peace after 16 months of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict which caused (… ) global instability”, announced the South African presidency.
This trip comes the day after his visit to Kiev where he had, according to the same source, “constructive discussions” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, estimating from the Ukrainian capital that there should be “a de-escalation on both sides “.
The other members of the African mediation delegation are expected in St. Petersburg later today, according to the Kremlin.
In addition to Mr. Ramaphosa, the delegation includes three other presidents: Macky Sall (Senegal), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia) and Azali Assoumani (Comoros), current president of the African Union, as well as Congolese, Ugandan and Egyptian representatives.
She was met with a dismissal from the Ukrainian head of state, who denounced “a deception” by Moscow in the midst of a counter-offensive by its armed forces.
“Allowing negotiation with Russia now, when the occupier is on our land, means freezing war, freezing pain and suffering,” Zelensky said at a joint press conference with African leaders.
Even before the arrival on his land of African leaders, Vladimir Putin said he was convinced on Friday that Kiev’s counter-offensive had “no chance” of succeeding, and that Western countries would be forced to return. to him, on his terms. “And we’ll see when and what we can talk to them about,” he said.
“Listen carefully”
For his part, Mr. Ramaphosa deemed Friday “important to listen carefully to what the two countries have to say”.
The South African leader is to have a separate meeting with Vladimir Putin before a meeting with the Russian president and all of the African mediators, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
This mediation takes place in the midst of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
If Moscow does not cease to affirm that this one is a failure, kyiv assures for its part to have liberated a handful of localities and a hundred square kilometers, mainly on the southern front.
“Ukrainian forces continue to conduct both offensive and defensive operations with relative success,” Ganna Maliar, Deputy Defense Minister, said on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called on Saturday for more tanks to be produced to “meet the needs of the forces” in the operation in Ukraine.
The African mission is the latest in a series of so far unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Africa is hard hit by rising food prices and the effects of war on world trade.
South Africa, however, refuses to condemn Russia for its aggression, and is criticized for its closeness to the Kremlin.
Russia, for its part, is trying to attract African leaders to its camp by claiming to stand up as a bulwark against imperialism and by accusing the West of blocking with its sanctions the exports of Russian cereals and fertilizers essential to the Africa.
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