By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his office is “carefully studying” detailed peace proposals from some African leaders seeking an end to the military conflict in Ukraine.
“Previous mediation initiatives were monopolized by so-called advanced democracies. Now Africa too is ready to help resolve problems that appear to be outside of its area of priorities,” the Russian leader said during the second day of the Russia-Africa meeting in St. Petersburg on Friday.
Putin said that Russia respects the proposals of African governments and examines them carefully.
Reduction of military tensions, security guarantees for both sides, and mutual recognition of sovereignty were among the proposals of African governments to end tensions.
Ukraine rejected the offer, saying that to end the conflict, it must ensure that Russian forces leave Ukraine.
The Kremlin had previously said that implementing African proposals would be “very difficult”.
The Russia-Africa summit comes on the heels of Moscow’s withdrawal from an agreement to allow the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
In June, an African delegation traveled first to Ukraine and then to Russia to mediate the military conflict in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin said the United States, France, and other Western countries were putting an unprecedented level of pressure on all African countries to prevent them from taking part in the Russia-Africa summit.
