Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed a delegation of African leaders in Kyiv on Friday. The meeting was held for the delegation to propose a set of "confidence-building measures" as an initial step toward resolving the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv.
Zelenskyy made clear Ukraine stood by its own peace initiative, based on a complete Russian withdrawal but invited the African leaders to take part in an international peace summit that is being drawn up.
"To allow any negotiations with Russia now while the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze everything: pain and suffering," Zelenskyy told a joint press conference with the African delegation.
Meanwhile, at least two explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital, "a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
