Why Ukraine says freezing conflict with Russia is not a solution

„If someone thinks they can freeze the conflict and then see how it will be resolved, then they don’t understand itKuleba said at an online briefing for African journalists after a tour of African countries.

Over 100 rounds of consultations and attempts at a truce with Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, led to a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kuleba noted.

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A delegation of African heads of state plans to visit Ukraine and Russia in the coming days in the hope that it will convince both sides to stop the war, said a spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The spokesman said that the date of the visit has not yet been specified.

Such a proposal would mean Russian forces would remain on Ukrainian soil when negotiations begin. Ukraine has previously said Russian forces must withdraw before talks can begin, and Moscow wants Kiev to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea as a precondition.

The initiative is led by the president of Senegal, Macky Sall, who was the chairman of the African Union last year. His country did not attend the last UN vote condemning Russia’s actions, Reuters recalls.

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The current chairman of the African Union – the president of the Comoros Islands, Othman Ghazali, was recently included in the delegation, which also includes the presidents of Egypt, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Africa.

Kuleba was on tour in Africato gain support, Reuters points out and recalls that 30 out of 54 African UN member states voted in favor of the UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated that there is currently a “renaissance” of relations between Ukraine and Africa. He said he did not know the details of the African peace mission but welcomed it. “We expect to receive these presidents in Kyiv,” Kuleba said.