Ramaphosa travels to Ukraine, Russia for peace talks
President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Poland where he is expected to lead an African peace mission which will attempt to find a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine-Russia war.
Poland shares borders with both Ukraine and Russia.
Together with other African heads of state they will travel from Polands to Ukraine and Russia.
Ramaphosa has been joined by the leaders of Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Senegal, Uganda, and the Comoros.
Ramaphosa is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy while on the trip.
“The human and negative economic impact and tension arising from the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is a grave situation that affects all of us in an interconnected world," he said.
“The African peace mission brings an African perspective and an appeal for peace process to deliberations that are underway in various parts of the world and within different formations of nations on how to address the conflict in Ukraine and Russia."
Ramaphosa is expected to arrive in St Petersburg on Saturday to meet with Putin.
“We are pleased and encouraged by the openness with which the two presidents have undertaken to engage with African leaders on this matter. From our own experience, it is at times of escalated conflict that a search for peace must be equally accelerated.
"This peace initiative should be seen as complementing other peace initiatives that other parties have put forward. The strength of this mission is that African leaders will be engaging with both parties," Ramaphosa added.
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