African delegation to meet Putin after Kyiv visit

Russia and Ukraine are vying for support from Africa, which along with the rest of the developing world has been disproportionately impacted by the war and related disruptions to food supplies.

The African leaders who met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday are expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on June 17, Bloomberg reports.

Zelenskyy reiterated after meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and others that Ukraine “won’t achieve diplomacy with Russia while they are on our territory.” Macky Sall, president of Senegal, responded that “when you’re fighting, you still probably need to have place for a dialogue.” About half of Africa’s 55 nations have supported UN resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion; others have sought to remain non-aligned.

The African de-escalation plan, few details of which have been disclosed, is the latest in a string of foreign offers to mediate the conflict as Ukraine pushes ahead with the counteroffensive launched this month in the nation’s east and southeast. Kyiv’s troops made gains on at least three fronts on Friday, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Mailer said Ukraine had advanced as much as 2 kilometers in the south; Russia hasn’t commented. Ukraine’s air defense warned of a ballistic missile threat in the south early Saturday, after downing a dozen cruise and ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv on Friday. Ukraine’s defense ministry repeated its urgent call for high-precision, long-range weapons.

Russia confirmed it has followed through on a plan announced in March to transfer tactical nuclear warheads to neighboring Belarus for storage, a move decried by opposition leaders in the Russian ally. “This is the first part,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “By the end of the summer, by the end of the year, we will complete this work.” Moscow has said the missiles will remain under its control. Russia’s president also said he sees no need to use nuclear arms for now.