/AFRICA: Kyiv Outlines Plans For Diplomatic Offensive In Africa To Counter Russian Influence

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke to African journalists on Wednesday to outline his country's plans for countering Russian influence on the continent, which will include opening 10 new embassies, boosting agricultural exports and improving military relations with African states.

• Kuleba toured the continent earlier this year and is planning another trip this summer in a bid to persuade African nations to shift their stances on the Russian invasion of Ukraine after some of them declared neutrality or signalled pro-Moscow sentiments.
• Ukraine's top diplomat said that he doesn't yet know any proposals of a peace mission by six African leaders who are expected to travel to Ukraine and Russia in mid-June. The exact date of their trip is yet to be confirmed.
• Kuleba drew the red lines on any peace plan, stressing that it must respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and must not call for freezing the conflict to fix it later. However, he said that Kyiv "sees value" in speaking to the African leaders.
• Ukraine's Foreign Minister said that it is entirely up to South Africa whether to move the BRICS summit to China, but welcomed the fact that it is increasingly difficult for the Russian President to travel internationally. He refused to make any immediate conclusions on whether South Africa transferred weapons to Russia.