Ukraine war must end, South African President Ramaphosa tells Putin

The warfare successful Ukraine indispensable end, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Russia's person Vladimir Putin.

Mr Ramaphosa's remarks came arsenic helium met Mr Putin successful St Petersburg connected Saturday arsenic portion of a bid ngo with six different African countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky told the delegation connected Friday that helium would not participate talks with Russia portion they occupied Ukrainian land.

Mr Putin launched past year's penetration and blamed Ukraine for refusing talks.

At the gathering successful St Petersburg, Mr Ramaphosa besides called for some parties to instrumentality their prisoners of war, and said children removed by Russia should beryllium returned home.

He warned Mr Putin of the impacts of the warfare connected Africa, and said it should beryllium settled by diplomacy.

"The warfare cannot spell connected forever. All wars person to beryllium settled and travel to an extremity astatine immoderate stage," helium said. "And we are present to pass a precise wide connection that we would similar this warfare to beryllium ended."

The warfare has severely restricted the export of atom from Ukraine and fertiliser from Russia, which has affected African countries successful peculiar and intensified planetary nutrient insecurity.

But Mr Putin blamed the West for the atom situation - not the warfare successful Ukraine - arsenic helium said lone 3% of the atom exports permitted nether a UN-sponsored woody to guarantee its harmless transition done the Black Sea had gone to the worlds poorest countries.

He besides praised what helium described arsenic Africa's balanced presumption connected the war.

Prior to arriving successful Russia, the delegation from South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, Zambia, and Uganda met Ukrainian leaders.

During a sojourn to Kyiv connected Friday, Mr Ramaphosa warned the warfare successful Europe was affecting betwixt 1.2 and 1.3 cardinal radical successful Africa.

After the leaders landed, aerial raid sirens sounded crossed Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, which Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said demonstrated that Mr Putin wanted "more war".

During their meeting, Mr Zelensky told the delegation that "an important effect of your mission" would beryllium to intercede to bring astir the merchandise governmental prisoners held by Russia.