Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine but that Ukrainian attacks made it hard to realise. He was speaking at a press conference after meeting African leaders in St Petersburg on Friday. “There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented,” he said. “But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement.” The African plan floats a series of possible steps to defuse the conflict, including a Russian troop pull-back, removal of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Putin, and sanctions relief, Reuters reported in June.
Putin said one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. “But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation… We cannot cease fire when we are under attack.” On the question of starting peace talks, he said, “We did not reject them… In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides.”
Meanwhile, Putin reviewed a parade of warships and nuclear submarines in St Petersburg on Sunday and announced that the Russian navy would receive 30 new ships this year. It comes amid rising missile attacks in the Black Sea after Russia pulled out of a deal that had enabled millions of tons of food to be exported out of Ukraine’s ports.
