“We welcome a balanced approach by our African friends to the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said at the start of the meeting in St. Petersburg, where a delegation of African heads of state arrived after a tour to Kiev to try to broker a solution of the conflict in Ukraine.
This weekend, four African heads of state – Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa, Macky Sal from Senegal, Hakainede Hichilema from Zambia and Azali Assoumani from the Comoros (current president of the African Union) – traveled to St. Petersburg. and Kiev, to seek meetings with Zelensky and Putin.
“We are open to constructive dialogue with those who want peace based on the principles of justice and taking into account the legitimate interests of the parties,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg rally.
In Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday dismissed the African delegation, denouncing a strategy orchestrated by Moscow as Ukrainian forces try to mount a counter-offensive.
Today in St. Petersburg, Putin said again that he respects “the position of African states in favor of maintaining stability,” expressing satisfaction with “their pursuit of pacifist policies.”
The Russian leader thanked the interest in finding ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and stressed that “the comprehensive strengthening of ties with the countries of the African continent is a foreign policy priority” of his government.
Source: DN
