Musings From Abroad

Russia/Ukraine War: Putin faults peace proposal by African leaders

Published

1 year ago

June 18, 2023

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has responded to peace moves by a delegation of African leaders seeking to mediate between his country and its European counterpart, Ukraine.

Putin Saturday presented a list of reasons why he believed many requests of the leaders were misguided. He maintained that Moscow was “open to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants to establish peace on the principles of fairness and acknowledgment of the legitimate interests of the parties”.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded that the peace talks would require Moscow to withdraw its forces from occupied Ukrainian territory, something Russia has said is not negotiable.

The delegation is made up of leaders from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, and the Comoros Islands. Their first visit was to Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv that was the centre of global attention last year after Russian troops abandoned an attempt to grab the city and departed from the area, leaving bodies of civilian residents believed to have been brutally murdered lying in the streets.

The African idea for peace is shared by Moscow, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in televised remarks, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news media as saying it was “impossible to realize.”

According to Peskov, Putin expressed interest in the proposal, which was presented with 10 points by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Moscow will keep up communication with the African nations.

Russia has insisted that any settlement must take into account “new realities,” which Moscow has defined as its declared annexation of five Ukrainian provinces, four of which it only partially governs.

Related Topics:Featured President Vladimir Putin Russia and Ukraine war

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

3 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

3 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.