Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a peace initiative brought to St. Petersburg on Saturday by a delegation of African leaders hoping to see an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The leaders from seven African countries told Putin war is harming the entire world. The delegation met with Putin a day after they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Both leaders indicated the plan was unworkable.
Putin opened Saturday’s talks with representatives from Comoros, Congo Republic, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia in a palace near St. Petersburg by stressing Russia’s commitment to the continent.
But the Russian president rejected the delegation’s peace plan based on the acceptance of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
He repeated his position that Ukraine and its Western allies were responsible for the conflict long before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin also said the West was responsible for a sharp rise in global food prices early last year that has hit Africa especially hard.
He told the delegation that Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports were doing nothing to alleviate Africa’s difficulties with high food prices because they had largely gone to wealthy countries.
Russia has recently indicated it would not renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July. Putin said the West had gone back on its promises to ease Russia’s ability to export its agricultural products.
The delegation’s peace initiative had been rejected a day earlier in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said any peace talks would presuppose the withdrawal of Moscow’s forces from occupied Ukrainian territory, something Russia has said is not negotiable.
In his nightly video address Saturday, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine’s Western allies for the military and humanitarian support they are providing in its fight against Russia’s invasion. Zelenskyy also thanked everyone who helped Ukraine overcome “the consequences of the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP.”
Zelenskyy also thanked Luxemburg for officially recognizing Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian people. Luxemburg is the 26th country to officially do so.
He also thanked Poland for supporting Ukraine’s membership to NATO.
President Joe Biden said Saturday his administration would not “make it easy” for Ukraine to join NATO.
Last week he had indicated he was open to waiving the requirement that Ukraine make the same military and democratic reforms all candidates must meet before it being considered for NATO membership.
But when he was asked Saturday whether Ukraine’s path to joining the transatlantic alliance would be eased, he said no. “Because they’ve got to meet the same standards. So, we’re not going to make it easy,” he said.
Putin warned Friday that there is a “serious danger” the NATO military alliance could be pulled further into Russia’s war on Ukraine.
He made the comment at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he promoted Russia’s economy despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. – gb
