South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Tuesday that the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine have agreed to hold separate meetings with a delegation of African heads of state to explore a potential plan to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Following phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend, President Ramaphosa’s office stated that both leaders have consented to hosting “an African leaders’ peace mission” in Moscow and Kyiv, respectively.
President Ramaphosa confirmed that the leaders of Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda, and Egypt will join him on this mission. He also mentioned that Putin and Zelenskyy have given him the green light to initiate the necessary preparations.
Details regarding the specific parameters of the talks were not provided at this time. Previously, President Zelenskyy expressed his stance that a peace agreement to end the 15-month war would only be considered once Russian forces completely withdraw from Ukrainian territory.
Furthermore, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has been informed about the planned meetings with the African delegation, and President Ramaphosa stated that Guterres “welcomed the initiative.”
