Neither Russia nor Ukraine succeeded! They were detained by Poland... South Africa | Reporter | Russia and Ukraine
According to Russian Sputnik News Agency, South African Broadcasting Corporation said on June 17 that South African journalists stranded at Warsaw Airport in Poland believed that they could no longer meet with South African President Cyril Ramafosa in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A chartered plane carrying the Ramaphosa security team and some journalists flew from the South African capital Pretoria to the Polish capital Warsaw on June 15th. The Polish side stated that some people on the plane do not have a gun permit, so passengers on board are not allowed to disembark. Poland also stated that the aircraft underwent an "inspection" due to non-compliance with the entry procedures into the country. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Some dangerous goods were found on the plane, and South African personnel did not have permission to carry them. In addition, the Polish authorities were not informed beforehand that some of the personnel on the plane would appear on the plane."
▲ Information image: Chopin International Airport in Warsaw, Poland. Shen Jizhong
Due to this incident, the security team and accompanying journalists on the chartered plane were unable to travel to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, along with Ramaphosa and several other African country leaders as scheduled.
According to the report, a South African journalist said, "We have lost our trip to Ukraine, and now it seems that we are also about to lose our trip to Russia. We believe it is indeed very difficult to continue to Russia." He also said that Polish authorities have detained their luggage.
Another South African journalist, Amanda Koza, tweeted that they stayed overnight at a hotel in Warsaw, but their luggage was not with them.
Koza's colleague Peter Ditois described his experience in Warsaw as "escaping purgatory.".
![Neither Russia nor Ukraine succeeded! They were detained by Poland... South Africa | Reporter | Russia and Ukraine](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/ab78c7611ddf65c0fc8791661c75379a.jpg)
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that the journalists and security personnel on the chartered plane stayed on the plane for 26 hours before being allowed to disembark.
Later on the 16th, a journalist tweeted that the Ramaphosa security team and accompanying journalists would not be able to travel to Russia. The South African News 24-hour website reported that passengers on charter flights will return to South Africa.
According to a previous report by Agence France Presse, General Wally Rudd, the head of the security team in Ramaphosa, accused the Polish authorities of being "racist" and putting the life of the South African president in "danger".
The South African newspaper "Times Instant News" reported that General Rudd also accused the Polish government of attempting to undermine President Ramaphosa's peaceful mission in Ukraine.
The African leaders' delegation arrived in Kiev on the morning of the 16th, and then held talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky, putting forward their views on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as possible. Zelensky rejected the mediation proposal put forward by African leaders at a joint press conference after the talks.
The delegation of African leaders will then go to Russia and hold talks with Russian President Putin in St. Petersburg on the 17th. The members of the delegation include South African President Ramaphosa, Senegalese President Maki Sal, Zambian President Hakkand Hichilema, Comorian President Azali Asumani, and representatives from Congo, Uganda, and Egypt.