The Russian president Vladimir Putin stated today that it is “ready” for a “constructive dialogue with those who want peace”, during a meeting with African mediators on Ukraine, hailing their “balanced approach” to the crisis.

“We welcome a balanced approach by our African friends to the Ukrainian crisis”Putin said at the start of this meeting in St. Petersburg, in northwestern Russia.

“We are open to a constructive dialogue with all those who want peace, which is based on the principles of justice and consideration of the legitimate interests of the (interested) parties”he underlined.

Leaders from South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Comoros Islands met with Putin at the 18th-century government’s Konstantinovsky Palace after visiting Kiev yesterday, Friday.