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Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to host a delegation of African heads of state who plan to visit Moscow to present their peace initiative to end the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
The agreement was reached in a phone call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during which both leaders discussed issues pertaining to the "well-known African initiative" and "key aspects of the further development of bilateral strategic partnership."
Six African leaders seeking to mediate a resolution to the fighting decided on Monday to travel to both Moscow and Kiev in mid-June.
Ramaphosa's office said on Tuesday, after a previous meeting with his counterparts, that the foreign ministers of the Comoros Islands, Egypt, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa have been tasked to "finalize the elements of a roadmap towards peace" ahead of the mission.
The Kremlin said Putin and the South African leader also discussed preparations for the second Russia-Africa summit, which will take place in late July in St. Petersburg and will bring together Russian and African officials to deliberate and strengthen bilateral relations. The summit's goal is to boost Russia-Africa cooperation in a variety of areas, including trade, investment, and technology transfer.
The upcoming BRICS summit scheduled to take place in Johannesburg in August was also highlighted, with both leaders expressing "commitment to continuing close coordination between Russia and South Africa on international platforms."
Putin Controlling Situation in Kherson Region After Destruction of Kakhovka HPP - Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping the situation in the Kherson Region under control after the sabotage at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant (HPP), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
"He [Putin] keeps the situation in the Kherson Region under control after the sabotage and the explosion of the dam. Yesterday, as you know, he instructed the Ministry of Emergency Situations to strengthen its presence there and provide assistance to people and also actively engage in work to eliminate the consequences of this disaster," Peskov told reporters.
Putin has not current plans of holding a meeting in the Kherson Region after the sabotage, Peskov added.
Emergency teams are selflessly working in the region to deal with the aftermath of the destruction of Kakhovka HPP, even under the conditions of ongoing shelling, the spokesman underscored.
Kremlin spokesman also commented the recent explosion at the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, naming it another issue that complicates the extension of the grain deal.
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Ukrainian sabotage group had blown up the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline in the Kharkov region, adding that there are casualties among the civilian population.
"We do not know what kind of destruction there is, we do not know what the Ukrainian side is going to do with this line. But you know that this topic was mentioned as an integral part of the part of the deal that concerned us. Therefore, let's just say, this is another aspect that complicates the situation in terms of prolonging the deal," Peskov told reporters.
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