Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after a meeting with delegation of African leaders to discuss their proposal for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2023.
The war in Ukraine must end, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin. Ramaphosa’s remarks came as he met Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of a peace mission with six other African countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the delegation on Friday that he would not enter talks with Russia while they occupied Ukrainian land, reports the BBC.
Putin told the African leaders Ukraine had always refused talks. At the meeting in St Petersburg, Ramaphosa also called for both parties to return their prisoners of war, and said children removed by Russia should be returned home. As the African delegation called for the return of children to their families, Putin interrupted their speech and claimed Russia was protecting them.
