Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to meet with African leaders to discuss a possible plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky are to meet with African heads of state
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has spoken with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts on the phone and confirmed that the pair have agreed to host separate meetings with a delegation of African heads of state.
Ramaphosa will be joined on the "peace mission" by the leaders of Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda and Egypt and confirmed that both Putin and Zelensky had given him permission to "commence the preparations".
No details have been provided on the possible parameters of the talks as Zelensky has previously ruled out considering a peace deal until Russian forces have completely withdrawn from Ukrainian territory.
Ramaphosa told reporters: "I agreed with both President Putin and President Zelensky to commence with preparations for engagements with the African heads of state.
"We're hoping we will have intensive discussions."
African nations have been badly affected by the rising prices of grain and the impact that the conflict has had on world trade and the South African leader said the politicians from across the continent have been discussing how they can facilitate the end of the war.
He said: "This we have been talking about as African leaders, because we concluded that conflict in that part of the world, that much as it does not affect Africa directly in the form of deaths and destruction to our infrastructure, it does have an impact on the lives of many Africans with regards to food security. Prices of fertiliser, cereals and fuel have gone up."
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