Live blog: Putin hails 'balanced approach' of African countries on conflict

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the "balanced approach" of African countries towards the Ukraine conflict, ahead of formal talks with the delegation aiming to push for peace between Kiev and Moscow.

The high-level diplomatic team, which visited Kiev on Friday, hopes to bring to the table the voice of a continent that has badly suffered from the repercussions of the Ukraine conflict including by rising grain prices.

"We welcome the balanced approach of African friends to the Ukraine crisis," Putin told African leaders from seven countries, adding: "We are open to a constructive dialogue with all those who want to implement peace based on the principles of justice and respect for the parties' legitimate interests."

The delegation includes four presidents: South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall, Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who also currently heads the African Union.

"In Russia, we highly respect the position of African countries in support of global stability... and support their desire for a pacifist policy," Putin said.

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1630 GMT — South Africa's Ramaphosa tells Putin 'war has to have an end'

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as part of peace efforts in Russia, has told his Russian counterpart Putin that the conflict in Ukraine had to stop.

"This war has to have an end... It must be settled through negotiations and through diplomatic means," said Ramaphosa, adding that the conflict was "having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world."

The African leaders are seeking agreement on a series of "confidence-building measures" even as Ukraine last week began a counteroffensive to push back Russian forces.

1529 GMT — Ukraine won't have 'easy' path to join NATO: Biden

The United States won't make special arrangements for Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance, President Joe Biden has said, despite the conflict with Russia.

"They've got to meet the same standards. So we're not going to make it easy," the US president told reporters near Washington.

The comments come before NATO leaders are set to meet in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius next month, where they are also expected to hold the first session of a NATO-Ukraine Council with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said although NATO will tighten political ties with Ukraine at the summit, there will be no talk of membership for Kiev.

1509 GMT — African leaders arrive for Ukraine talks with Russia's Putin

African leaders hoping to mediate in the Ukraine conflict were welcomed to a government palace near Saint Petersburg by Russian President Putin.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had said after meeting the leaders in Kiev on Friday that peace talks with Russia would be possible only after Moscow withdrew its forces from Ukraine.

He added that he could not understand what could be gained from the delegation meeting Putin.

South African President Ramaphosa said in Kiev that the leaders had come "to share the African perspective" and saw talks with Russia as part of the mission.

1154 GMT — Russian missile kills two in Ukraine's Kharkiv region: Governor

Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov has revised the death toll from a Russian missile strike on a small Ukrainian village in the east to two people.

Synehubov initially said on the Telegram messaging app that four people were killed as a Russian anti-tank guided missile hit a car driving towards the village of Huriyv Kozachok which is near the border with Russia.

Later he gave provided an update, saying that two volunteers –– a 42-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman were killed.

0857 GMT — Russia says repelled drones targeting oil refinery

Russian air defence units repelled a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on a pumping station on the Druzhba oil pipeline in the Bryansk region adjoining Ukraine, the region's governor said.

Three Ukrainian military drones were destroyed in the attack in the Novozybkov district, Alexander Bogomaz wrote on Telegram.

Drone attacks inside Russia have been increasing in recent weeks, frequently targeting energy facilities. Russia blames Ukraine although Kiev does not publicly acknowledge responsibility for them.

The southern branch of the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline crosses Ukraine and, despite the conflict there, continues to supply crude oil to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czechia.

0759 GMT — Russia needs more tanks to fight in Ukraine: Moscow

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has called for more tanks to be manufactured "to meet the needs of Russian forces" in Ukraine after Kiev launched a counteroffensive with Western arms.

Shoigu, who visited a military factory in western Siberia, stressed the need "to maintain the increased production of tanks" and better security features in armoured vehicles, the defence ministry said.

Shoigu said this was necessary "to satisfy the needs of Russian forces carrying out the special military operation" launched by Moscow in Ukraine in February last year, it added.

Russia claims the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed but Kiev says it has retaken several localities and about 100 square kilometres of territory, mainly on the southern front.

0630 GMT — Russia has gained a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine

The most recent intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence has been published, providing information on Russia's ongoing actions to strengthen its attack helicopter presence in southern Ukraine following the commencement of the counteroffensive.

0249 GMT — Russia: Some countries' peace proposals on Ukraine could work

Peace proposals on the Ukrainian conflict settlement proposed by various countries contain ideas that could work, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has told TASS news agency.

Asked by a TASS correspondent at the 2023 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum whether there were viable ideas in the peaceful settlement plans proposed by other countries, Zakharova replied "of course there are."

"I reiterate that we are thankful to every country, every state or every public figure - because many initiatives were personally proposed by prominent figures, internationalists; we are grateful to everyone, who speaks about peace, who speaks about [peaceful] settlement and, who wants to be useful regarding this issue," she told TASS.

2000 GMT — Zelenskyy invites African leaders to join global peace summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he called on African leaders to participate in the global peace summit, where he will discuss his "peace formula."

"I called on the leaders and states of Africa to participate in the Global Peace Summit we are preparing," Zelenskyy said in his fresh address.

"Ukraine will be heard all over the world, and we will involve the whole world in the implementation of the peace formula. It is not easy, but we are working."

Zelenskyy first proposed the idea of a global peace summit in November when he laid out a 10-point "peace formula" that envisages the full withdrawal of Russian troops from his country and which Kiev says is the only viable path to peace.

For our live updates from Friday (June 16), click here.