Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to host a group of African leaders on Saturday who visited Russia as part of a personal “peace mission” initiative the day after their trip to Ukraine.
Seven African leaders — the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as the prime minister of Egypt and key envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda — visited in Ukraine on Friday in hopes of helping to end this nearly 16-month war.
African leaders then traveled to St Petersburg on Saturday to meet the Russian president who is attending a business forum in Russia’s second largest city.
Speaking at the forum on Friday, Vladimir Putin said Russia’s first tactical nuclear weapons were deployed in Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against Western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine. He has already mentioned that the deployment will begin in July.
When asked if he could order the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, Putin replied that it was not necessary, but pointed out that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenals in the event of a “threat to the Russian state”.
“In this case, we will certainly use all means available to the Russian state. There should be no doubt about that,” he said.
The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, follows other peace initiatives — such as China’s — and is of particular importance to Africa, which depends on food and medicine deliveries. fertilizer from Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has hampered exports from one of the world’s largest food pantries.
“This conflict negatively affects Africa,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday at a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and four other African leaders.
Mr. Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities, but insisted that all wars end and underlined their willingness to help speed things up.
“I really believe that Ukrainians feel they have to fight and not give up. “The road to peace is very difficult,” he said, adding that “it is necessary to end this conflict as soon as possible.”
The delegation, including Senegalese President Macky Sall and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, represents a cross section of African views on this conflict.
South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided criticizing Moscow over the dispute, while Egypt, Zambia and the Comoros voted against Russia last year in a resolution of the general assembly of United Nations condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a ‘road map’ for peace, prompting questions from President Zelensky who demanded clarification and insisted so as not to have “surprises” from their visit with the Russian president.
The chances of peace talks seem dim. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraw its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition of peace talks. The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognize Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, as part of Russia.
China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies have largely rejected the plan as the warring parties are no closer to a ceasefire.
The African peacekeeping mission comes as Ukraine launches a counter-offensive to dislodge Russian forces from occupied areas, using advanced Western-supplied weapons in attacks over several sections of more than 1,000 kilometres.