Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have both agreed to separate meetings with a delegation of African heads of state to discuss a possible plan to end the war in Ukraine, according to South Africa's president.
Cyril Ramaphosa spoke with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts by phone over the weekend, a spokesperson for his office said. They agreed to host 'an African leaders' peace mission' in Moscow and Kyiv respectively.
The leaders of Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda and Egypt plan to join Mr Ramaphosa on the mission, the president said. He added that Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky gave him the go-ahead to 'commence the preparations'.
No details were provided on the possible parameters of the talks. Mr Zelensky has previously said he would not consider a peace deal to end the 15-month war until Russian forces withdraw fully from Ukrainian territory.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres was briefed on the African delegation's planned meetings and 'welcomed the initiative', Mr Ramaphosa said.
Of the leaders due to meet with Mr Ramaphosa, Zambia and Congo lean to support the west. Senegal and Uganda are more Russia-leaning. Egypt has sought a balanced position on the conflict.
'I agreed with both President Putin and President Zelensky to commence with preparations for engagements with the African heads of state,' the South African leader said, speaking at a press conference in Cape Town during a state visit by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
'We're hoping we will have intensive discussions.'
He did not give a specific timeline for the visit or other details, saying only that the conflict had been 'devastating' and Africa 'is also suffering a great deal' from it.
African countries have been badly hit by rising prices of grain and by the impact to world trade attributed to the war.
Ramaphosa said the African leaders have been talking and consulting in recent months on how the continent can facilitate the end of the war.
'This we have been talking about as African leaders, because we concluded that conflict in that part of the world, that much as it does not affect Africa directly in the form of deaths and destruction to our infrastructure, it does have an impact on the lives of many Africans with regards to food security. Prices of fertiliser, cereals and fuel have gone up,' he said.
'Facilitated by the Brazzaville Foundation, we have been able to have these discussions, and principal to our discussions are efforts towards a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine, its cost in human lives and the impact on the African continent.'
Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year but the war has largely stalemated, although Ukraine is expected to start a counteroffensive soon to try to take back land occupied by Russia and push Putin's forces back east.
Considered one of Moscow's closest allies on the continent, South Africa says it is impartial and has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions on the war.
The announcement came a day after Ramaphosa said South Africa had been under 'extraordinary pressure' to pick sides in the conflict.
This followed accusations from the United States that Pretoria supplied weapons to Moscow - a move that would break with its professed neutrality.
The peace mission will be the latest in a flurry of so-far unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to still the war.
A Chinese special envoy was expected to arrive in Kyiv for a two-day visit on Tuesday to promote Beijing-led peace negotiations.
Last week Guterres told a Spanish newspaper that peace negotiations were 'not possible at this moment' with both sides 'convinced that they can win.'
But Ramaphosa said the African initiative had met with 'cautious support' in Washington and a number of European capitals visited by 'facilitators' tasked with presenting the plan.
The effort could help Pretoria rehabilitate its image as a neutral player and mediator, following accusations that it has drifted towards Russia.
The commander of South Africa's ground forces was in Moscow to discuss military cooperation on Monday, in the latest of a series of incidents that critics cite as evidence of a tilt towards the Kremlin.
Last week, the US envoy to Pretoria said that the United States believed weapons and ammunition had been laden onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base in December.
On Tuesday, South Africa's defence minister, Thandi Modise, denied the accusation in an interview with local newspaper the Mail & Guardian.
'Everybody now sees the spook called South Africa. I can tell you that categorically, we did not send fokol, not even a piece of Chappies to Russia,' she said referring to a local popular bubble-gum brand and using an Afrikaans expletive meaning 'nothing at all'.
On Monday, Ramaphosa said South Africa would not be drawn 'into a contest between global powers' despite having faced 'extraordinary pressure' to do so.
South Africa has refused to condemn the conflict in Ukraine, which has largely isolated Moscow on the international stage, saying it wants to stay neutral.
In a veiled criticism of that stance on Tuesday, Singapore's Lee said condemning Russia's invasion was a matter of principle.
'One country cannot invade another with impunity...a clear disapproval has to be given,' he told the press conference in Cape Town, flanked by Ramaphosa.
'We remain friends with Russia but we cannot approve of what has been done'.
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