An African delegation is currently visiting Ukraine and Russia to assist in the search for an end to Moscow’s offensive war. Ukrainian President Selenskyj refused to negotiate until a withdrawal had occurred.
Cyril Ramaphosa listens to Andrii Kostin with a serious expression. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General receives the President of South Africa in Butscha. Kostin tells Ramaphosa about the massacre that Russian soldiers committed last year against civilians in a Kiev suburb. Ramaphosa then lays a memorial candle for the victims in their honor.
For the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion, a high-ranking delegation from Africa visits Ukraine before continuing on to Russia. African states have so far mostly remained officially neutral in the war. During the joint press conference, Volodymyr Selenskyj spoke words of praise for the visit during wartime:
“I would like to thank the participants in our meeting for their commitment to the principle of territorial integrity. The presidents and prime ministers themselves have also seen in Butscha that Russian occupation means death.”
Russia Shelling Kiev During The Visit
Just recently, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was traveling in Africa. Ukraine is now looking not only to the West for support but also to other parts of the world. Cyril Ramaphosa presents the reason for the delegation’s trip quite confidently: “This is a historic mission in search of peace,” he says. “It consists of ten key points. First, we want to listen. From both President Selenskyj and President Putin. We want to hear from him how he envisions the path to peace.”
Many people in Ukraine, including Ramaphosa, doubt that Putin has any real interest in peace negotiations. At the same time as the African delegation’s visit, Russia shells Kyiv with rockets, and the explosions are clearly audible throughout the city – the Ukrainian authorities claim that it successfully shot down the rockets. Ramaphosa’s comment on the attack sounded like light criticism of the Kremlin: “We heard rocket fire today. Such activities do not promote peace.”
Grain Agreement a Highlight for the Africans
The delegation, led by Ramaphosa, also includes Senegal, Zambia, Egypt, Uganda, Congo, and the Comoros. Some of these countries are politically close to Russia, and all share concerns about food insecurity. Maintaining the fragile grain agreement between Kyiv and Moscow is a top priority for the Africans.
According to Cyril Ramaphosa, an end to the conflict is in the interest of all nations, including Africa. To achieve a resolution, the delegation is pushing for a negotiated solution while emphasizing security for all countries.
Selenskyj Refuses Negotiations
However, Selenskyj has once again refused to negotiate until Russia has withdrawn its troops from Ukraine. He has offered direct grain supplies and education support to the delegation, but the room for manoeuvre is limited, says Africa expert Professor Alexander Stroh-Steckelberg of the University of Bayreuth:
“African states would certainly welcome it if Ukraine were to promote stronger trade relations with Africa and advocate for African interests in the West. However, it is clear that the Russian offensive war is responsible for disrupting Ukraine’s foreign trade relations. Therefore, at the moment, Ukraine has little to offer Africa. This is due in part to the fact that Ukraine has only established thin relations with Africa and is slowly trying to build them up. Africa, for its part, stresses that it is tired of being just considered a geopolitical plaything.”
It remains uncertain whether Kyiv can strengthen ties with Africa. The path to peace is viewed quite differently at the moment, despite the delegation’s rhetorical sympathies for Ukraine. Perhaps the hope in Kyiv is that the visit to Butscha, one of the sites of Russian massacres, will eventually bring about a change of heart.