LONDON. May 16 (Interfax) - African nations will propose a peace initiative to Moscow and Kiev to settle the situation in Ukraine, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday.
"This peace mission will contribute to various other missions that are underway to bring a solution to that conflict," Ramaphosa said during a joint press conference with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
A delegation made up of leaders from a number of African states plans to visit Moscow and Kiev, where they are expected to present their plan, he said.
The leaders of Zambia, Senegal, the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Egypt, and South Africa have taken part in planning the mission, he said.
"The two leaders that I had an occasion to speak to, that is [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin and [Ukrainian] President [Vladimir] Zelensky, agreed that they would be willing to receive a mission of the African heads of state in both Moscow and Kiev," he said.
The Russian and Ukrainian leaders have made it clear that they are willing to discuss possible ways to end the conflict with African leaders, he said.
The mission's success will depend on the discussions the leaders have in the two capitals, he said.
Although the events in Ukraine do not affect Africa directly, African states are suffering from their indirect effects, including rising prices for fertilizer, agricultural products and fuel, he said.
Ramaphosa said he had notified United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the African Union of the mission's plans.
Speaking on Monday, Ramaphosa said that, by virtue of its neutral position, his country was seeking to contribute to establishing the conditions needed for settling the Ukraine conflict, which he said should be settled in a peaceful way.
The South African president said in March 2022 that he had been asked to play a mediating role in the Ukraine conflict. He did not say who made the request.