Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with a delegation of African leaders on Saturday to discuss a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict in the country's cultural capital St. Petersburg.
The African delegation includes South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegalese President Macky Sall, President of the Union of Comoros Azali Assoumani, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema, and Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuly. Uganda is represented by its minister of foreign affairs, while the Republic of Congo by its minister of state.
Negotiations are expected to revolve around the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the Black Sea grain initiative and its future. African nations are reportedly interested in a permanent supply of grain and concerned that this has not yet been feasible under the current deal.
On June 16, the delegation visited Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the meeting, African leaders told the Ukrainian president that it is necessary to end the ongoing conflict as soon as possible.