African Leaders To Propose Ukraine Peace Deal

Reuters has published excerpts from a "draft framework" expected to be proposed by African leaders designed to facilitate peace talks between Russian, Ukraine, and the West.

• According to the document, the leader propose a series of "confidence measures" designed to initiate a first stage engagement between Russia and Ukraine.
• Those measures include, a withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and the removal of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus.
• In return, the leaders propose suspension of an ICC arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the suspension of "some western sanctions" on Russia.
• The leaders also propose an unconditional grain and fertilizer deal to replace the foundering deal mediated by Turkey and the UN.
• An African brokered peace deal may have more traction than recent proposals from China and Brazil as the Africa Union has maintained neutrality and keep robust ties with all parties.
• Al Jazeera notes: "Of the 35 countries that abstained from voting in a crucial United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution last March (2022) condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 17 were African."