Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in 2018. File Picture: Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via Reuters
Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in St Petersburg for a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Ramaphosa and other leaders from Africa are to meet Putin “to seek a road to peace” after more than a year of conflict in Ukraine.
The group of African leaders began their mission in Ukraine where they met with president Volodymyr Zelensky.
They have proceeded to St Petersburg in Russia to meet with Putin.
The presidency said on Saturday Ramaphosa has arrived in Russia.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya said after the president’s meeting with Putin on Saturday he will return to South Africa on Sunday.
“This afternoon President Ramaphosa, together with the heads of state of Zambia, the Comoros and Senegal and heads of government of Congo-Brazzaville, Egypt and Uganda, as participants in the African leaders’ peace mission, will meet with president Vladimir Putin to seek a road to peace to the 16 months-long conflict between Ukraine and Russia which has thus caused devastating economic impact, loss of life and global instability,” said Magwenya.
Ramaphosa said they did not expect to see the results of the of the mission overnight.
China and other countries have already tabled their peace plans to try and end the conflict.
South Africa has come under pressure from the US over its non-aligned position.
This has led to fears that South Africa may be cut out of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which expires in 2025.
Four US Congressmen have written to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Trade Representative Katherine Tai and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to move the AGOA forum from South Africa to another country.
The AGOA forum is expected to take place in November.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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