African delegation visits Russia to promote peace between Moscow, Kiev

St. Petersburg, Russia | Xinhua | An African delegation visited Russia on Saturday, pushing for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis so as to stop its negative impact on African countries.

During a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, also member of the delegation, said that the Ukraine crisis has caused a price hike in energy and fuel, fertilizers and food in African nations and the rest of the world.

The delegation, consisting of leaders and senior officials from seven African countries, offered a peace proposal that includes unimpeded grain exports through the Black Sea, de-escalation on both sides and enhanced humanitarian aid.

Russia understands the concerns of the international community and is open to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants peace based on the principles of justice and takes into account the legitimate interests of all sides, Putin said during the meeting.

“Russia has never refused to negotiate, but the Ukrainian side has announced that it will not conduct any negotiations,” he said.

The African mission arrived in Ukraine’s capital Kiev on Friday and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During the meeting, Zelensky presented the Ukrainian Peace Formula to the leaders of African countries, noting that it would help to restore the security of Ukraine and other states that were affected by the crisis.

Last week, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the efforts of the African leaders who headed to Russia and Ukraine to promote peace and end the crisis, noting that he always encourages all endeavors related to it.