Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in Strel'na outside Saint Petersburg on July 29, 2023. (TASS / AFP)
MOSCOW – The African peace initiative for the Ukraine crisis echoes the provisions of the peace plan presented by China, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday night.
The Ukraine crisis was provoked by some forces in the West, who "for many years were preparing for a hybrid war" with Russia, Putin said during a meeting with heads of delegations of African states on Ukrainian issues, according to the Kremlin.
An African peace delegation visited Ukraine and Russia in June, pushing for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis
"They did everything to turn Ukraine into a tool to undermine the foundations of the security of the Russian Federation, to damage Russian positions in the world, and indeed to undermine our statehood," he added.
"Of course, we are impressed by the position of the countries that put forward the initiative that the principles of the UN Charter must be respected and put into practice in their entirety and interconnection," said the president.
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There should be no double standards, no unilateral sanctions, no attempts to ensure one's own security at the expense of others, he added.
Putin noted that the African peace initiative echoes the provisions of the peace plan presented by China to resolve the situation around Ukraine.
"It was nice to hear that our ideas coincide with the ideas put forward by other parties, in particular, China," said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, one of the main initiators of the peace plan.
"The fact is that this conflict now directly affects us," he said, adding that problems are being created in many fields including food security.
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"We believe that the restoration of peace is in the interests of mankind, as well as the peoples of Russia and Ukraine," he said.
An African peace delegation visited Ukraine and Russia in June, pushing for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
