African leaders press Putin to end Ukraine war, restore grain supplies

<p>Putin responded by arguing, as he has in the past, that rising world food prices were a consequence of Western policy mistakes long predating the Ukraine war.</p>, <span>President Vladimir Putin. GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images</span>, <h2>African leaders pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to move ahead with their peace plan to end the Ukraine conflict and to renew a deal on the safe wartime export of Ukrainian grain that Moscow tore up last week.</h2>, <p>While not directly critical of Russia, their interventions on the second day of a summit were more concerted and forceful than those that African countries have voiced until now.</p>, <p>They served as reminders of the depth of African concern at the consequences of the war, especially rising food prices.</p>, <p>“This war must end. And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason,” African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told Putin and African leaders in St Petersburg.</p>, <p>“The disruptions of energy and grain supplies must end immediately.</p>, <p>“The grain deal must be extended for the benefit of all the peoples of the world, Africans in particular,” Mahamat added.</p>, <p>Reuters reported in June that the African plan floats a series of possible steps to defuse the conflict including a Russian troop pull-back, removal of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Putin, and sanctions relief.</p>, <p>Putin gave it a cool reception when African leaders presented it to him last month.</p>, <p>On Friday, he said Moscow respected the proposal and was carefully studying it, with Ukraine due to be discussed later at a working dinner.</p>, <p>Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso said the African initiative “deserves the closest attention”, calling “urgently” for peace.</p>, <p>Senegalese President Macky Sall called for “a de-escalation to help create calm”, while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he hoped that “constr