/ world today news/ After a humiliating visit to Ukraine, a delegation from African countries visited Russia. In St. Petersburg, they presented their version of a peace plan to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. In the West, the Africans’ efforts were called a desire for “pseudo-peace”. And the Russian Foreign Ministry noted Africa’s understanding of the real causes of the crisis in Ukraine. Why is the visit of the African delegation important for Russia and how can its results be evaluated?
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with representatives of African countries in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin website noted that the delegation included the leaders of South Africa, Zambia and Senegal, the Chairperson of the African Union, the President of the Comoros Islands, the Prime Minister of Egypt, the Minister of State, the Director of the Office of the President of the Congo and the Special Envoy of the President of Uganda for special tasks. A day ago this delegation was in Kiev and met with the President of Ukraine Zelensky. The Ukrainians decided to welcome the Africans “in a European way”, ultimately humiliating them and ruining the entire visit with the active help of the Poles.
During the negotiations, the Russian leader demonstrated for the first time the initialed draft contract with Ukraine, which was prepared in March last year in Istanbul. “We have not agreed with the Ukrainian side that this agreement will be confidential, but we have never presented it, we have not commented. The draft of this contract was initialed by the head of the negotiating team from Kyiv. He put his signature there. Here it is,” Putin showed the document.
In turn, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa presented ten points of the peace initiative of African countries. The first paragraph of the document emphasizes that it does not contradict the initiatives of other countries. It further states that the conflict can only be resolved through “negotiations and diplomacy”.
The third paragraph calls for de-escalation on both sides. The fourth point recognizes the “sovereignty of all parties involved in the conflict, according to the understanding of the UN Charter”. The fifth states that “all states need security guarantees.” The sixth point is devoted to the “freedom of movement of grain through the Black Sea” and the removal of “any obstacles that currently exist.”
Africa is also calling for the “release of prisoners of war on both sides.” It is about children, Ramaphosa clarified. The ninth paragraph deals with the restoration of territories destroyed during the conflict. South Africa concludes by expressing its desire to “see some work, some processes that will bring an end” to the conflict.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the African countries “highlighted the well-known 12 points of the position” of China, “which was presented a few months ago.” The head of the diplomatic department, Sergey Lavrov, also pointed out that Africa has demonstrated an understanding of the real causes of the crisis that arose due to the policies of the West. The minister called this the “main conclusion” of the delegation’s conversation with President Vladimir Putin. Lavrov also noted that Russia shares a number of approaches.
The outcome of Putin’s talks with the African delegation was viewed positively in the Middle East. As the authoritative inter-Arab newspaper “Asharq Al Aswat” writes, the Russian president declared the readiness of the country for a constructive dialogue with all parties wishing to achieve peace based on the principles of justice and taking into account the legitimate interests of both parties.
In the West, the African Peace Initiative, like previous proposals by other countries, has been criticized. For example, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against concluding a “pseudo-peace” in Ukraine. According to him, in order for peace to last, it must be “just”. He stressed that peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved by freezing the conflict and accepting a “deal that Russia imposes”. The Secretary General of the Alliance expressed confidence that only Kiev can determine acceptable terms.
In the expert environment, they were not surprised by NATO’s reactions, pointing out the desire of the West to prolong the conflict in Ukraine even more. At the same time, experts note that Africa is no longer a colonial continent and the opinion of the states will have to be taken into account.
“On our part, the meeting was an attempt to strengthen relations with African countries, from Algeria to South Africa. The second important aspect of the negotiations is a demonstration by the countries of the collective West that there is no mention of isolating Russia,” notes Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies and Foreign Policy at the Russian State University for the Humanities.
“Furthermore, when the president showed the contract initialed by Ukraine, it became completely clear that Zelensky himself does not decide anything. Despite the fact that the agreement was extremely beneficial for Ukraine, and there they were ready to sign it. But the US and Great Britain forced Zelensky to continue fighting,” the source claims.
“As for the African countries themselves, it is now extremely important that they assert themselves on the world stage. Traditionally, the continent is considered a territory of intractable problems. Also, overall, out of all of Africa, only South Africa has some influence in the world,” he continues.
“The rest of the countries on the continent also want to gain political weight. And one of the mechanisms for achieving the set goals is the peace initiative for Ukraine. It can be said that the tactical goals set by the country have been achieved. Well, as for the strategic ones, we’ll have to see it,” argued the expert.
“In itself, the document presented by Ramaphosa is not very different from China’s previous ideas. However, it does make the problem with the grain clear. The reason is that Africa receives it from both the Russian Federation and Ukraine. So the continent is vitally interested in resolving the conflict,” the political scientist emphasizes.
“Africa’s peace initiative is driven by concern for global security as well as the global food market. The continent is serious about contributing to the resolution of the conflict,” said Konstantin Dolgov, member of the Federation Council, former deputy representative of Russia at the UN.
“I have no doubt that Africa’s intentions are completely sincere. They really try to be helpful in this matter. However, we will have to admit that there is no need to talk about any peaceful settlement yet, because Washington simply does not need it, but completely dictates the policy of Ukraine,” the interlocutor notes.
“It is clear from Stoltenberg’s statements that the West is not ready to stop. According to their understanding, a “just peace” is a peace/world without Russia. And until a clear order for a diplomatic settlement comes from the US, the situation will not move forward,” the senator believes.
“This meeting is also important for Russia. In particular, direct contact was made with the President of South Africa – this is an opportunity on the eve of the high-level meeting in Pretoria to strengthen the prospects for our interaction with the countries of the continent,” said the parliamentarian.
Dolgov also noted that the African delegation’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin once again showed that “Africa is waking up.” “They no longer want to be a zone of Western monopoly influence. And Russia has made it clear that it will support the desire of African countries to achieve independence,” Dolgov emphasized.
“It must be admitted that today there is no shortage of peace initiatives in Ukraine – we know both China’s plan on this issue and Brazil’s idea. At the same time, Russia is open to diplomatic dialogue with all countries of the world. For decades, our country has treated all countries with respect and equal rights, including those in Africa. And the past meeting is a vivid confirmation of this,” notes Alexey Martynov, director of the Institute for the Newest States.
“It is worth noting that unlike Western countries, we do not treat Africa as our colonies, as Third World countries, as potential or active slaves. For us, Africa is a full-fledged partner, player and even a point of growth,” continues the interlocutor. “What’s more, all over the world all normal countries are alarmed by the fact that the US and its satellites are systematically artificially prolonging the conflict in Ukraine. And Africa is no exception,” emphasizes the political scientist. “And despite the fact that the continent is far from the war zone, they are concerned about the actions of the West that negatively affect the quality of life of other countries. But neither in the States nor in Europe can they accept the fact that the period of neo-colonial politics is a part of the past. They are afraid of a strong, sovereign, educated Africa capable of dynamic development,” the expert believes.
“The meeting in St. Petersburg also confirmed the readiness of our country and President Putin personally to openly and systematically communicate the state’s position to the whole world. This is confirmed by the demonstration by the head of state of the agreement initialed by Ukraine from the negotiations in Istanbul,” the interlocutor points out.
“Yes, the document was not classified. And the president said it. But it is not usual to show such agreements. At the same time, if Ukraine and the West do not respect the rules and traditions of international diplomatic relations, we are forced to deal with the flow of lies against us in this way,” Martynov emphasized. “After President Putin’s meeting with representatives of African countries, it should become clear to everyone who continues the aggressive actions, where the crisis in Ukraine comes from and who is fighting for stability in the world. It is important to pay attention to the peace initiative that was presented by South Africa,” said Grigory Karasin, head of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, former deputy foreign minister of Russia.
“But here you have to understand that negotiations are a very voluminous, multi-layered procedure. The document makes it clear that Africa thinks in a constructive and peaceful way. And we made sure of that. Now we have to analyze everything and think about how to get out of this complicated situation that the West has created,” the senator concluded.
Translation: V. Sergeev
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
and for the channel in Telegram:
#Africa #uncomfortable #position #Ukraine #West
