A delegation of African leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of its mission to try to broker peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. The meeting comes a day after the delgation met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and as Putin confirmed that he has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
5:05pm: South African president Ramaphosa arrives in Russia amid African peace mission
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived on Saturday in Russia, as part of a mission of African leaders aiming to push for peace between Moscow and Kyiv, the South African presidency said.
"His arrival in Russia's cultural capital, follows constructive discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky," the presidency said, adding the African delegation would "meet with President Vladimir Putin to seek a road to peace to the 16 months-long conflict between Ukraine and Russia which has thus caused devastating economic impact, loss of life and global instability."
His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa has arrived at St Petersburg International Airport in the Russian Federation where he joins other African Heads of State and Government participating in the Africa Peace Initiative for peace talks with His Excellency President Vladimir… pic.twitter.com/fiHaRuEY3w
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 17, 2023
1:31pm: African delegation to Ukraine and Russia has a 'neutrality problem', some critics say
The self-styled African peace delegation that visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, and that is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg today, has a “neutrality problem”, some critics say, with zero chance of succeeding with its mission, FRANCE 24’s international affairs editor Douglas Herbert explained.
“You have six nations taking part in this mission, and what is interesting is that more than a dozen African nations failed to condemn the Russian invasion early on. Four of the nations on this mission abstained from that [UN] resolution condemning the invasion (South Africa, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville and Uganda)”, Herbert said, noting only Egypt and Zambia did so.
“So you have a neutrality problem here,” Herbert said, adding that “all roads in this delegation really lead to its most influential member, South Africa, which last month was accused by the US ambassador to Pretoria of supplying Russia with weapons and ammunition. South Africa has denied the allegations.
>> Read more : South African ties to Russia shadow Ukraine peace mission
Aside from being seen as lacking in neutrality, Herbert said critics view the mission as “small fry” that will not be able to accomplish any kind of de-escalation.
1:19pm: Russian missile kills four in Kharkiv region, governor says
A Russian missile strike on a small village in the Kharkiv region in the east killed four people on Saturday, regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said.
Synehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian military shelled the village of Huryiv Kozachok and an anti-tank guided missile hit a car driving towards the village, which is near the border with Russia. Four civilians who were in the car died on the spot, he said.
Ukraine liberated many villages and towns in the Kharkiv region last autumn but since then the Russian military has frequently shelled the area, destroying critical infrastructure and injuring and killing residents.
11:39am: Russia says it repelled drone attack on oil refinery in Bryansk
Russia on Saturday said air defence forces had destroyed three drones targeting an oil refinery in the southern border region of Bryansk, as Ukraine pursues its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
"Russian air defence systems repelled an overnight attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the 'Druzhba' oil refinery in the district of Novozybkov," the governor of the Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, said.
He did not mention any damage.
10:06am: Russian defence minister says more tanks needed in Ukraine
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday called for more tanks to be manufactured “to meet the needs of Russian forces” in Ukraine after Kyiv 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 for 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” in Ukraine, it added.
9:46am: Kremlin links granting accreditations to Western media with 'behaviour'
Russia will take into account the “behaviour” of Western media when deciding whether to accredit their journalists for major forums in Russia, the state-owned TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Saturday.
Journalists from countries that Russia calls “unfriendly” did not get accreditation for the ongoing St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
7:07am: African leaders prepare to meet Putin after Zelensky rules out talks
A high-level African delegation was set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the northwestern city of St Petersburg this Saturday, a day after its calls for talks between Moscow and Kyiv were rebuffed by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
“In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say, and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin,” said South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose delegation consists also of the presidents of Senegal, Zambia and Comoros.
The leaders of Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.
The diplomatic team visited Kyiv on Friday, where Ramaphosa insisted “there should be peace through negotiations”.
But Zelensky ruled out that possibility: “I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering”.
10:26pm, June 16: 'Every metre' of recaptured Ukrainian land 'of utmost importance', says Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that every metre of Ukrainian territory recaptured from Russian occupying forces was "of the utmost importance" in Ukraine's current counteroffensive against them.
"Our movement forward is the most critical thing," Zelensky said in his nightly video address after meeting top military commanders.
"Every soldier, every new step we take, every metre of Ukrainian land freed from the enemy is of utmost importance."
9:27pm: Zelensky urges African leaders to press Putin on release of political prisoners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to a group of African leaders to ask Vladimir Putin to free political prisoners from Crimea and beyond – saying it would be an “important step” in their trip to the Russian city of St Petersburg on Saturday.
Several African leaders – the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia – as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from Congo-Brazzaville and Uganda visited Ukraine on Friday as part of a self-styled “peace mission” to both Ukraine and Russia to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war between them.
The tenor of the press conference soured when Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a “road map” to peace, prompting questions from Zelensky, who sought a clarification and insisted he didn't want “any surprises” from their visit with Putin.
Zelensky then urged them to help free political prisoners from Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
“Would you please ask Russia to liberate the political prisoners?" Zelensky said. "Maybe this will be an important result of your mission, of your ‘road map’.”
5:35pm: Putin says Russia sent nuclear warheads to Belarus
President Vladimir Putin on Friday confirmed that Russia had sent nuclear arms to its ally Belarus which borders Ukraine.
“The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus ... This is the first part,” Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
It was the first time the Russian leader confirmed the move himself.
Putin said the weapons are meant as deterrence to “those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia”. Belarusian troops began training on nuclear-capable Russian missile systems in April.
Key developments from Friday, June 16:
An African delegation including the leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and Comoros met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine and called on both Kyiv and Moscow to de-escalate hostilities and engage in peace talks. Zelensky ruled out the talks, saying that “negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told an economic forum in St Petersburg that Russian tactical nuclear weapons had now been deployed to Belarus and should serve as a deterrence to “those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia”.
Read yesterday's liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5mcmFuY2UyNC5jb20vZW4vZXVyb3BlLzIwMjMwNjE3LSVGMCU5RiU5NCVCNC1saXZlLWFmcmljYW4tcGVhY2UtZGVsZWdhdGlvbi1zZXQtdG8tbWVldC1wdXRpbi1pbi1ydXNzaWEtaW4tYmlkLXRvLWRlLWVzY2FsYXRlLWNvbmZsaWN00gGRAWh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmZyYW5jZTI0LmNvbS9lbi9ldXJvcGUvMjAyMzA2MTctJUYwJTlGJTk0JUI0LWxpdmUtYWZyaWNhbi1wZWFjZS1kZWxlZ2F0aW9uLXNldC10by1tZWV0LXB1dGluLWluLXJ1c3NpYS1pbi1iaWQtdG8tZGUtZXNjYWxhdGUtY29uZmxpY3Q?oc=5
2023-06-17 05:40:03Z
2143561034
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar