At a time when an African peace mission is taking place in Kyiv and Saint Petersburg, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, is about to travel to South Africa early next week, where she will discuss Ukraine in particular.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is part of a delegation of African leaders seeking mediation in Ukraine. This delegation was in the town of Boutcha near Kyiv on Friday.
A French diplomatic source told journalists that Catherine Colonna would be discussing a mediation proposal “on Monday and Tuesday with the South African authorities”.
While indicating that the content of this initiative was not yet known, the same source stressed that France “supports all peace initiatives as long as they aim for a lasting peace that respects international law and the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine”.
South Africa, which has been close to the Kremlin since its anti-apartheid days, has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying it seeks to remain neutral.
But the American ambassador in Pretoria, Reuben Brigety, recently accused the South African government of having delivered arms to Russia. Washington has since been concerned about a rapprochement between the two countries.