Cyril Ramaphosa with Vladimir Putin
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is in Russia as part of a peace team, urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the crisis in Ukraine must end.
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated, “This war has to have an end… It must be settled through negotiations and through diplomatic means”.
He went on to say that his team of seven African leaders, “Came with a very clear message: that this war has to be ended”.
“This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world”, Ramaphosa continued ahead of a formal meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The delegation met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday.
Also read: Ukraine Rejects To Hold Peace Talks With Russia
Azali Assoumani, Comoros President, who also serves as the head of the African Union, stated, “We have come to listen to you and through you to hear the voice of the Russian people”.
“We wanted to encourage you to enter into negotiations with Ukraine”, he explained.
African countries have been divided in their approach to the conflict, with some supporting Ukraine, and others remaining neutral or leaning towards Moscow.
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