MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. Russia has prepared a draft statement to summarize the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the African peace mission on Ukraine, with the document being handed over to South Africa, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He noted that the basic parameters of the discussion would be enshrined in a joint written statement but "it is not a document to be signed." "Since this initiative was organized by Mister [South African President Cyril] Ramaphosa, the Russian side prepared its draft of this statement which was then handed to the South African delegation before their departure from St. Petersburg. As soon as there is a mutual understanding that the text was approved, the South African side will publish it," the Kremlin official explained.

At the end of July, Putin held a meeting with members of the African peace mission on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. This was the second round of such talks this summer. The first one was held on June 17 at the Constantine Palace. At that time, Putin noted that Moscow had not refused to hold talks with Kiev and that it was precisely the Ukrainian leadership that tossed the draft agreement initialed in Istanbul in March 2022 to the "dustbin of history." Then the Russian President also displayed this document to his audience.