Leaders from several African countries arrived in Russia on Saturday as part of their ongoing “peace mission.”
The presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia joined with the prime minister of Egypt and diplomats from Congo and Uganda for the trip.
The diplomatic mission arrived in St. Petersburg for an audience with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s prime minister, Macky Sall, Senegal’s president, Azali Assoumani, Comoros’ president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, and Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia’s president, left to right, hold a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, June 16, 2023. Ramaphosa and other African leaders have floated a proposal that they say could help bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, but details have been scant. (Photographer: Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Putin is in the city for a business forum, where he spoke Friday about the deployment of tactical nukes to Belarus.
Africa has felt the economic toll of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as much of their key food and fertilizer imports from the region have been disrupted.
The envoy of African leaders previously met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the first leg of their two-prong peace mission.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony of presenting the Russian Hero of Labour gold medals and national awards in the fields of science and technology, literature and art, humanitarian efforts, charity and human rights advocacy for the previous year, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
“This conflict is affecting Africa negatively,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a Friday news conference. “I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard.”
He added, “There is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.”
The diplomatic group of African leaders represents countries with various policies toward the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, center, arrives for a news conference with Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, center right, Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia’s president, right, Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s prime minister, left, Macky Sall, Senegal’s president, second left, and Azali Assoumani, Comoros’ president, center left, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, June 16, 2023. Ramaphosa and other African leaders have floated a proposal that they say could help bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, but details have been scant. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Egypt, Zambia, and Comoros voted to condemn Russia last year in a United Nations General Assembly. South Africa, Senegal, and Uganda have refrained from penalizing Russia.
