Work within the framework of the African peace initiative to find ways to resolve the crisis in Ukraine is ongoing and has already brought "significant" results, Vincent Magwenya, an official representative of the president of South Africa, said at a press briefing.
"There are significant achievements in the framework of the African peacekeeping mission after the delegation of the leaders of seven African countries visited Russia and Ukraine last June," he stressed. "First of all, this concerns children who found themselves in a war zone, as well as prisoner of war exchanges."
Magwenya stressed that during Putin's meeting with the African delegation on the sidelines of the Second Russia–Africa Summit, it was recognized that there is progress in the implementation of this peace mission.
During the meeting, the Russian leader noted that Moscow had repeatedly publicly expressed its willingness to hold talks with Kiev.
"But after the withdrawal of our troops from near Kiev - and we were asked to do this in order to create conditions for the conclusion of a final agreement - the Kiev authorities abandoned all previous agreements," Putin said, adding that now, "the ball is completely on their side."
However, Azali Assoumani, chairman of the African Union and Comoros president, told Sputnik Africa last Thursday that there is no sign that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is interested in the peace plan.
The delegation of seven African countries, which included the presidents of Zambia, Comoros, Senegal, South Africa, the prime minister of Egypt, as well as representatives of the Republic of Congo and Uganda, visited Kiev on June 16, where they held talks with Zelensky. The next day, the mission was received in St. Petersburg by Putin. On behalf of the delegation, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 17 outlined a plan of 10 principles that could lay the foundation for a peace process in Ukraine.