By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa – who is in Russia as part of a peace-seeking delegation has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the conflict in Ukraine must to stop.
Ramaphosa laid out the 10 points of the African peace initiative that is seeking agreement on a series of “confidence-building measures”.
“This war must be settled… through negotiations and through diplomatic means,” said Ramaphosa.
He added that his delegation, consisting of seven African leaders, “would like this war to be ended.
“This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world,” Ramaphosa said ahead of formal talks with the Russian president.
Today we are at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg to hold peace talks with President Putin of the Russian Federation as part of the Africa Peace Initiative.#AfricanPeaceMission pic.twitter.com/m8xKo7OOpj
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? (@CyrilRamaphosa) June 17, 2023
The delegation, which arrived in Russia Saturday, includes four presidents: Ramaphosa, Senegal’s Macky Sall, Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros’ Azali Assoumani, who also currently heads the African Union.
African countries have been divided over their response to the conflict, with some siding with Ukraine, while others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow.
On Friday, the delegation held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s leader said after meeting the leaders that peace talks with Russia would be possible only after Moscow withdrew its forces from occupied Ukrainian territory.
“We have come to listen to you and through you to hear the voice of the Russian people,” said Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently heads the African Union.
“We wanted to encourage you to enter into negotiations with Ukraine,” he said.
“This war must be settled, through negotiation and through dialogue…”
HE President @CyrilRamaphosa#AfricanPeaceMission
Marble Hall, Konstantinovsky Palace
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
17 June 2023 pic.twitter.com/P3q8ywtAQC— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) June 17, 2023
Putin interrupted opening remarks by African leaders seeking to mediate in the Ukraine conflict to deliver a list of reasons why he believed many of their proposals were misguided.
He reiterated his position that Ukraine and the West had started the conflict long before Russia sent its armed forces over the broder in February last year. He said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side, which had been blocked by Kyiv.
Putin also praised the “balanced approach” of African countries towards the Ukraine conflict, ahead of formal talks with the delegation aiming to push for peace between Kyiv and Moscow.
“We welcome the balanced approach of African friends to the Ukraine crisis,” Putin told African leaders from seven countries.
“We are open to a constructive dialogue with all those who want to implement peace based on the principles of justice and respect for the parties’ legitimate interests,” Putin said.
“In Russia, we highly respect the position of African countries in support of global stability… and support their desire for a pacifist policy,” Putin said.
The Russian leader also said exports of Ukrainian grain under a deal ensuring its safe passage through the Black Sea was not helping to resolve Africa’s problems with high global food prices – as only 3 percent has gone to the poorest countries.
Putin said the food crisis had been caused by the actions of Western countries, not by what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine.