- Title: Putin shows African leaders what he says is draft peace agreement with Ukraine
- Date: 17th June 2023
- Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (JUNE 17, 2023) (RUSSIAN POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "The project of this deal (peace deal with Ukraine) was initialled by the head of the negotiations group from Kyiv. He signed it. Here it is. (SHOWING A DOCUMENT) It exists. It is called "The Agreement on Permanent Neutrality and Safety Guarantees to Ukraine". (OVER LEADERS LISTENING) Guarantees, like you already said, my dear friend, president of the Republic of South Africa. (IN SHOT) Eighteen articles. Moreover, there is an annexe to this. I won't go into details now. It has to do with the military and other things. It's all there in black and white. Up to the amount of military equipment and number of troops. Here is the document. (OVER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NODDING) It was initialled by the Kyiv delegation. The signature is there. But after we, as promised, drew our troops away from Kyiv, the Kyiv authorities, just as their owners usually do, threw it all onto the rubbish (OVER LEADERS LISTENING) heap of history. (IN SHOT) I'm putting it mildly, and trying to be polite. They turned it down. Where are the guarantees that they won't give up any other agreements?"
- Embargoed: 1st July 2023 17:40
- Keywords: AFRICA AGREEMENT PEACE RUSSIA UKRAINE
- Location: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
- City: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001074317062023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (June 17) interrupted opening remarks by African leaders seeking to mediate in the Ukraine conflict to deliver a list of reasons why he believed many of their proposals were misguided.
Putin first welcomed leaders from Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, Congo Republic, Comoros, and South Africa to the 18th-Century Konstantinovsky Palace on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, stressing Russia's commitment to the continent.
But after presentations from the Comoran, Senegalese, and South African leaders, he stepped in to challenge the assumptions of the plan before the round of comments from all the representatives could go any further.
He told the delegation that Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports that Russia has permitted for the past year were doing nothing to alleviate Africa's difficulties with high food prices because they had largely gone to wealthy countries.
He said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side, which had been blocked by Kyiv. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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