African leaders on peace mission meet President Putin in Russia after visiting Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with a group of African leaders who flew to Russia on a peace mission a day after they visited Ukraine.

The seven African leaders constituted the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The African leaders met with President Putin on Saturday in St. Petersburg after flying in from Kyiv.

The leaders say they're trying to help end the nearly 16-month-old war between Moscow and Kyiv.

Leading the delegation was South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who called for “the war to be ended.”

The mission to Ukraine and Russia, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives — such as one by China — and carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine.

“This conflict is affecting Africa negatively,” Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

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