African Leaders May Travel To Russia & Ukraine Next Month

The Director-General of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa and his counterparts from Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda and Egypt will travel to Russia and Ukraine with a peace talks mission as soon as next month.

• "In early June, the six heads of state will be shuttling between the two capitals [Moscow and Kyiv] to engage in the facility roll and at least get to a ceasefire," News24 cited the official as saying.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to meet with the peace mission in their capitals, which they confirmed in recent phone calls with the South African leader.
• The mission is unlikely to bring any breakthrough as Ukraine is beginning its widely touted counteroffensive against the aggressor, while both warring parties stand by their rigidly defined red lines.
• However, for Ramaphosa, the mission is an opportunity to showcase his "non-aligned" stance and present himself as a mediator, as he seeks to deflect allegations of pro-Russia leanings amid allegations of supplying Moscow with weapons.