By Staff Reporter
World leaders will next month meet in Switzerland from June 12-16 for the Ukraine Peace Summit organized to seek permanent solutions to the ongoing war on Ukraine.
Since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, thousands of missiles and drones have been fired at Ukraine.
On May 10, Russia launched an assault in the northeastern border region of Kharkiv which resulted in their biggest territorial gains in a year and a half, according to Aljazeera.
On Thursday, part of that ramped-up offensive saw missiles slam into Kharkiv, the second-largest city. At less seven civilians were killed and 21 others wounded.
The strike hit the country’s largest printing facility when some 50 employees were on the premises.
“Russian terror constantly proves that their goal is the complete destruction of Ukraine and all life here on our land, everything that allows people to be human. We will do everything to protect our state and make Russian evil responsible for what it has done,” Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Russia not keen on attending peace summit
With the fast approaching Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, the Swiss government has said the participation of Brazil, India, China and South Africa that also form the BRICS was crucial. Russia may, however, not attend the peace summit in the first round of discussions, Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd had said in February.
Moscow had dismissed the Ukraine peace summit as “pointless” and said it was doomed to fail if it doesn’t take Russia’s interests into account.
“Russians are using 300 planes on the territory of Ukraine. We need at least 120-130 planes to resist in the sky,” Zelenskyy said, according to Aljazeera, again calling on Western allies to supply with additional air defence systems. Ukraine is waiting for the delivery of US-designed F-16 fighter jets.
“Everyone has gotten used to the fact that Ukrainians are dying – that’s not escalation for people,” Zelenskyy asks following recent intensified attacks by Russia.
Last Tuesday, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 28 out of 29 drones used by Russian forces in an overnight attack on seven regions, including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson. The drone attack damaged four private residences, 25 trucks and buses in Kharkiv, injuring five people, according to the region’s Governor Oleh Syniehubov and the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statements on the Telegram messaging app, Aljazeera further reports.
Zambia maintains position on Ukraine War
So far, there have been at least six UN General Assembly resolutions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, requiring countries to pronounce themselves on the aggression.
Zambia has consistently voted to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, with the exception of one abstention.
This suggests Zambia’s foreign policy is somewhat supportive of Ukraine – at least significantly more so than other Southern African countries such as South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which have abstained or voted “NO” to these resolutions.
A statement issued by the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 February, 2024 to mark two years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reiterated Zambia’s opposition to Russia’s actions, noting that it was symptomatic of “suffering inflicted upon innocent and vulnerable victims amid the relentless pursuit of power and resources through conflict”.
In July 2023, President Hakainde Hichilema and other African heads of state travelled to Kyiv in Ukraine and St. Petersburg in Russia as a member of the Africa Peace Initiative. This visit stressed how the Russian invasion is negatively impacting Africa – for example, by contributing to rising food and fuel prices – and highlighted Zambia’s commitment to finding peace via diplomatic solutions.
President Zelenskyy has also engaged directly with President Hichilema, with the respective heads of state sharing details of phone calls on at least two occasions. These phone calls have reportedly stressed the importance of food security and the challenges posed by Russian attacks in the Black Sea which prevent Ukrainian merchant ships transporting grain to market.
On the visit of Hichilema and other African heads of state, Zelenskyy told African journalists in November last year that the African leaders left Ukraine with a clear picture of the extent of Russia’s invasion.
“… They came with mixed emotions and mixed information about what was happening. But they all left Ukraine changed; they could see what Russia had done and the consequences of their shameful assault on the people and especially our children,” Zelensky said when he met a team of media representatives from different African countries, in Kyiv. “They left for Russia with a better understanding of what Ukraine is fighting for … I am ready to visit any nation on the African continent and I’ll be happy to have a meeting with them … to make maximum efforts to achieve stability.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry calls for support from African countries
During a visit of the African journalists, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuleba had hinted that getting support from African countries when it comes to voting for Ukrainian resolutions at the United Nations was a challenge.
“… You can’t agree that let’s be consistent unless you keep voting for Ukrainian resolutions in the United Nations but not abstain. You can agree that next, when the next voting takes place and you will vote pro, then you say ‘yes we will support’ but it doesn’t mean in a way that the resolution after will be supported by this nation,” Kuleba had said. “This is the difference in relations with European nations. When European nations say we will support this issue, it means we constantly will support. With African nations, it works differently. You have to reach agreement for every step separately. You can’t agree on the principle but that’s the peculiarity of diplomacy. We keep it in mind and we keep working. But the truth is that really, for more than 20 years, Ukraine and Africa were not dealing with relations seriously so we need time. The diplomacy machinery was not working from both sides.”
He told the journalists that Ukraine neither desires nor wishes to exploit anyone in the process of reigniting relations with African countries.
“Our desire to work with Africa is out of joint mutual respect. We are not coming to Africa like other nations where you say we built you a bridge and give us a gold mine or Diamond mine and we will keep mining and will probably do anything you want. There’s a different model when nations force African nations to sell some raw materials at low prices than the market price. We do not suggest this model. We do what we can do together to make the partnership safe and secure,” Kuleba had said.
Zambia’s involvement in peace solutions for the Russia-Ukraine war is crucial for global stability, African solidarity, and diplomatic relations, as it promotes peaceful conflict resolution, reduces global tensions, and encourages international cooperation, setting a positive precedent for other global disputes.
Furthermore, it enhances Zambia’s diplomatic relations with other nations, strengthening bilateral ties, enhancing its global reputation as a responsible and engaged global citizen, increasing its influence and credibility on the international stage, and reinforcing the importance of dialogue and negotiation in international relations, ultimately contributing to a more peaceful and stable world where nations can work together to address global challenges and promote sustainable development.
The June 15-16 high-level Ukraine peace conference aims to secure a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” for Ukraine. It is expected that Zambia will send a representative to this important conference which seeks to find a lasting solution to the Russia-Ukraine war whose effects have affected most parts of the world, with the least developed countries bearing the worst effects.
Zambian Civil Rights activists condemn the war on Ukraine
Civil rights activist and political analyst Dr Alex Ng’oma says one of the most immediate concerns resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the disruption in the supply of critical commodities such as gas and crude oil.
“Moreover, the government’s response to the conflict can influence Zambia’s international relations and internal political dynamics,” Dr. Ng’oma noted.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian soldiers have been leaving a massive trail of destruction, with hundreds of buildings completely destroyed, with some almost reduced to rubble. The recovery and reconstruction process has started, albeit slow as the undertaking requires huge sums of money to be fully executed. At the height of this war have also been incessant misinformation and disinformation campaigns which reached the highest levels since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As a result of the ongoing war, many innocent lives have been lost, a number of casualties and displacement of millions.
The conflict led to widespread protests, economic repercussions, and legal actions against Russia, including ICC investigations and arrest warrants for alleged war crimes.
Research indicates that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has its roots in a complex web of historical, geopolitical, and security considerations.
Lawyer and human rights defender Ngande Mwanajiti has condemned the war and the involvement of young men, including one from Zambia and another from Tanzania.
“A disability anywhere is a disability everywhere,” Mwanajiti said. “When democracy is affected in other countries, it won’t be long until it’s affected in Zambia too.”
International Solidarity Sought
“We have to bring this war to an end; it may not be to someone’s liking but it has to end, it has to be done,” Zelenskyy said during his November meeting with African journalists.
Ukraine is currently also negotiating with international partners to use their weapons to strike Russian military hardware at the border and further inside Russian territory, Zelenskyy has revealed, but adds that “so far, there is nothing positive.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday arrived in Kyiv and called for more international support for Ukraine’s air defences.
Amidst all the turmoil and destruction of parts his country due to the ongoing war, Zelenskyy still remains resolute to find a solution to Russia’s invasion of his country in defence of his peoples’ freedoms and preservation of democracy.
Zelensky has previously outlined a ten-point peace plan that seeks to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity, withdrawal of all Russian troops, protection of food and energy supplies, nuclear safety, and the release of all prisoners of war.
He had previously said Russia’s agreement to even one of the ten-point peace plan could be a significant step toward ending the war.