Ukraine: Putin “ready” for dialogue, welcomes “balanced approach” to Africa

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with African mediators in Ukraine on Saturday, praised their “balanced approach” to the crisis and said he was “ready” for “constructive dialogue with those who want peace”.

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“We welcome the balanced approach of our African friends towards the Ukrainian crisis”, Mr. Putin announced, where the African mediation team arrived after a trip to Kyiv. .

“We are open to constructive dialogue with those who want peace, based on the principles of justice and taking into account the legitimate interests of the parties,” he stressed.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday rejected the African delegation, denouncing it as “a sham” amid counter-attacks by Moscow’s armed forces.

According to Vladimir Putin, “In Russia, we greatly respect the position of African countries in favor of maintaining stability (…), we support their desire for a pacifist policy”.

He added that he “appreciates” their interest in finding ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, while stressing that “strengthening comprehensive relations with the countries of the African continent is Russia’s foreign policy priority.”