South African President Cyril Ramaphosa informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the warfare in Ukraine should cease. Ramaphosa is in Russia as a part of a peace-seeking delegation.
Seven African leaders presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, in addition to Egypt’s prime minister and prime envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda, visited Ukraine on Friday as a part of a self-styled peace mission to each Ukraine and Russia to attempt to assist finish their practically 16-month-old warfare. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed the delegation that he wouldn’t maintain talks with Russia whereas they occupied Ukrainian land.
Whereas in St Petersburg, Ramaphosa additionally mentioned each events ought to return their prisoners of warfare, and that youngsters eliminated by Russia needs to be returned residence. A whole lot of Ukrainian youngsters had been eliminated forcibly from their households throughout Russia’s occupation of Ukraine. Putin has been charged with warfare crimes by the Worldwide Felony Courtroom for a similar.
Ukraine started a counteroffensive to push again Russian forces final week.
Ramaphosa additionally mentioned that the warfare needs to be settled by diplomacy and apprised Putin of the consequences of warfare on Africa.
“The warfare can not go on endlessly. All wars need to be settled and are available to an finish at some stage,” he mentioned, BBC reported. “And we’re right here to speak a really clear message that we wish this warfare to be ended.”
Putin, at first of the dialogue, interjected the opening remarks by the African leaders to listing out the reason why he thought a lot of their proposals had been misguided. He reiterated that he had by no means blocked talks with Ukraine and that this battle had been began by the West lengthy earlier than Russia despatched in its troops.
