When UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Kiev from Moscow in April last year, the Ukrainian capital was bombed. Now the direction of travel of an African delegation of leaders has reversed, but the same thing happened, with the presidents of South Africa, Zambia, Senegal and the Comoros and the Prime Minister of Egypt being taken to an air shelter during the airstrike. Received by Volodymyr Zelensky, African leaders defended the end of the war through negotiations, a message they will repeat today to the Russian leader in St. Petersburg.
“This war must end and peace must be negotiated. We are calling for mitigation on both sides,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. But his interlocutor didn’t deviate an inch from his path. “During our meeting I stated clearly several times that allowing negotiations with Russia now the occupier on our territory means freezing the war, freezing the pain and suffering.”
On Facebook, Zelensky added: “No one can protect its borders and ensure people’s safety while Russia tries to make aggression and theft from foreign countries a global norm.”
The trip of African leaders, including representatives from the Congo and Uganda, represents the largest African diplomatic initiative in the conflict, following visits by Senegalese Macky Sall as leader of the African Union and Guinean Umaro Sissoco Embaló as president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Before the meeting with the Ukrainian president, the African delegation visited Bucha, known for images of civilians slaughtered in the streets before the Russian troops withdrew.
The visit was marked by a setback for the South African delegation. The 120 passengers, including security personnel and journalists, on a chartered flight accompanying Ramaphosa’s presidential plane were stranded at Warsaw airport. Polish authorities reported that people were on board without permission to disembark with weapons. The president’s security chief, General Wally Rhoode, accused the Poles of “racism” and said the security of Ramaphosa was at stake, in an incident the presidential spokesman described as “regrettable”.
The visit was also marked by the fact that the directors went to a bomb shelter when the sirens sounded. The capital was again the target of missiles. This time, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the anti-aircraft fire success rate was one hundred percent and would soon stop six Kinzhal missiles (the ones Moscow claims are hypersonic) launched from fighter jets over the Russian region of Bryansk, in northern Ukraine six Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from a ship in the Black Sea and two reconnaissance drones.
Despite being destroyed, the missile fragments caused the destruction of several houses on the outskirts of the capital and injured seven people. Speaking at the press conference, Zelensky said the attack means that either Putin is not in control of his army or he is acting “irrationally”.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy said that “Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace.”
“I have many Jewish friends. They say that Zelensky is not Jewish, that he is a disgrace to the Jewish people. This is not a joke or an attempt at irony, because today the neo-Nazis, disciples of Hitler, are placed on a pedestal as heroes of Ukraine.” Vladimir Putin
In St. Petersburg, his hometown, the Russian leader gave a speech that was supposed to be about the economy, but it ended up being about the war.
Amid criticism of the West and Zelensky, Putin proclaimed that the Ukrainian offensive will fail. “Ukrainian forces have no chance here and in other directions. I have no doubt about that,” he said, reiterating that Ukrainian forces suffered “heavy casualties”.
NATO confirms that there is no invitation
NATO’s secretary general said the alliance will strengthen political ties with Ukraine next month, but confirmed there will be no invitation to join. Instead, it is planned to hold the first NATO-Ukraine Council, with the presence of the Ukrainian president in Vilnius.
Earlier this month, Volodymyr Zelensky warned he would not go to Lithuania if he had no sign of his country’s future membership in the Atlantic alliance. Several Eastern European countries have insisted on a clear roadmap for accession. “I am confident that we will find a good solution and consensus,” said Jens Stoltenberg.
Source: DN
