The foreign minister of Ukraine is on a tour of African countries to work towards the path to global peace and the enhanced diplomatic dialogues between the countries to challenge Russian forces over the Global South- a collective term for Latin America, Africa, and much of the Asian continent.
Image: President Zelenskyy with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2024.
Source: Saudi Press Agency, SPA
Dmytro Kuleba, a top Ukrainian diplomat, said that his aim when he traveled to Morocco during his second tour of Africa after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year was to promote President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s vision of the peace plan and the countries to support this plan.
The diplomat wrote on Instagram “Important negotiations lie ahead with African leaders and business’ and said that he wished and envisioned a seamless flow of Ukrainian grains through the Black Sea route and develop the prospects for Ukrarian trade.
A think tank in Kyiv, New Europe Centre, said that there is an urgency due to the popping up of multiple peace plans.
It is said by political analysts that Ukraine is advancing its efforts to engage the Global South in its plan of peace by ending the war with Russia since many of the countries have taken efforts with serious dialogues for the achievement of peace.
This tour is a three-day diplomacy by President Zelenskyy, at the Arab League on Friday and after that at a Group of Seven summit in Japanese land.
Countries such as China, this month, have proposed their peace plan by sending a top envoy to Kyiv, Moscow, and other European capitals to discuss a political settlement.
The Vatican also outlined a peace plan this month. South Africa mentioned last week that Kyiv and Moscow are on the same page to discuss the peace plan with African leaders.
Zelenskyy’s 10-point “peace formula”, as highlighted by Ukraine, must be the premise for any settlement that is to take place for the war initiated by Russia.
Zelenskyy proposed to hold a global peace summit in July to promote his formula.
It was said by Denmark’s foreign minister that Copenhagen is prepared to host the same. Lars Lokke, the minister stressed that active interest and involvement are necessary from countries like China, India, and Brazil.
Ukraine received military, financial, and humanitarian aid from the West but in the meanwhile, Russian relations with the Global South have constantly turned towards a much positive side such as the sale of its energy to India and China.
Russia, in July, plans to hold an Africa-Russia summit in St Petersburg to hold together and increase its years-long nurtured ties with Africa. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, visited the African continent twice this year and once last year.
Nigel Gould-Davies, an expert from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said,” There’s a growing realization in Europe and Ukraine that there’s a risk that this war will come to be seen as essentially a European conflict that other countries don’t need to be concerned about and don’t need to condemn”.
He added that Europe and Ukraine are responding to Russia’s efforts to create an alternate narrative in the world about the war which doesn’t condemn the war and seeks to maintain a relationship with Russia.
However, the countries Dmytro Kuleba is going to visit aren’t disclosed.
