June 17 (UPI) — Several African leaders had a significant meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Saturday, aiming to contribute to the resolution of the war in Ukraine. A statement released by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed his arrival in St. Petersburg, along with the leaders of Zambia, the Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Senegal, and Uganda.
The delegation is actively seeking a path to peace in the 16-month-long conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has caused severe economic repercussions, loss of life, and global instability.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the meetings lasted for three hours.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that the African leaders comprehend the underlying causes of the Ukraine crisis, which, in his view, were brought about by the West’s actions.
“They have demonstrated their understanding that this situation needs to be resolved by addressing those root causes and developing specific actionable plans to eliminate the factors that have been undermining security in Europe for many years,” Lavrov stated.
These same leaders also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday. However, they were forced to seek shelter in bunkers due to Russian airstrikes targeting the city.
Zelensky has consistently stated that negotiations cannot take place until Russian troops have withdrawn from Ukrainian territory.
“Today, I made it clear during our meeting that engaging in negotiations with Russia while the occupier remains on our land would mean freezing the war, freezing the pain and suffering,” Zelensky expressed during a press conference after the meeting, as reported by CNN.
