South African president says missiles from Putin won't deter him in "quest for de-escalation"

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that despite the Russian attack he experienced in Ukraine on 16 June, he would continue his dialogue with the Russian dictator for the sake of "de-escalation".

Source: Ramaphosa on Friday in Kyiv after the African leaders’ meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Quote from Ramaphosa: "The launch of guided missiles does not deter us or stop us from continuing to call for escalation. 

The events that we have seen or even felt today [on 16 June – ed.] make our calls for a de-escalation of the situation more important, and we say that it is important that both countries take the road to peace."

Details: On 17 June, African leaders will gather in Russia to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. 

Zelenskyy has criticised the rhetoric of African leaders, who refer to Russia's war against Ukraine as a "conflict" or "crisis".

Zelenskyy has also been surprised that the African representatives emphasised their own grain and fertiliser crises while sidestepping the outcome of the war in Ukraine - constant Russian missile and artillery attacks, civilian and military deaths, ecocide, and so on.

In addition, Zelenskyy stressed that Africa’s grain supply problems are the result not of a "crisis", but of Russia's single-handed blockade of Ukrainian ports. He added that the Black Sea Grain Initiative only started working after Ukraine regained control of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island and received the appropriate weapons to hold and defend it. 

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Some of my counterparts continue to call this war a crisis. And even now they continue to do so publicly. It’s their right to choose, but it shows that we assess the situation differently. This is not a crisis and it is not a threat: it is a war, the consequences of which are a large number of crises and a large number of realities, not threats."

More details: Zelenskyy said that Putin cannot be forced to make peace by mere talk: "I don’t believe that good words or good steps towards the Russian president can stop his aggression. I think, on the contrary, that diplomatic isolation, showing that the whole world understands that he is an aggressor and a terrorist, and that his entourage are war criminals just like him – I believe that this could be serious leverage and could influence his society."

Some African leaders said at the press conference that peace with the Russians is not possible without engaging in dialogue with them and urged the Ukrainian president to do so.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not allow itself to be used or persuaded. 

Background: 

• On 16 June, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders visited Bucha in Kyiv Oblast.
• During the visit, Russia launched twelve missiles (six Kinzhal ballistic missiles and six Kalibr cruise missiles) and two reconnaissance UAVs on Ukraine, particularly Kyiv Oblast.

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