Zelenskyy calls on African leaders not to host Russian officials

UKRAINSKA PRAVDA – THURSDAY, 4 AUGUST 2022, 19:36

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has called on African leaders not to organise visits to their countries by Russian officials.

Source: Interfax, quoting Zelenskyy during a press conference with African journalists

Quote from Zelenskyy: "You mustn’t host Russian officials who turn up presenting themselves as peaceful people. They’re visiting you because they’re not welcome anywhere else; they’re shunned almost everywhere."

"They’re coming to your country because they haven’t unleashed a war on your continent. They don’t know how to boost the Russian economy. They’ll be looking for places where they can wreak havoc."

Details: Zelenskyy added that it is "right" to isolate Russia in the international diplomatic arena. "The world must turn its back" on Russia.

Background: Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has recently undertaken a tour of several African countries, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of the Congo.

British Defence Intelligence has said that Russia may seek to exploit these visits to blame the West for the international food crisis and win the support of African states which have otherwise remained neutral regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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