EU, Africa leaders to talk trade and minerals, as Ukraine looms large

EUROPEAN and African leaders were to gather in Angola yesterday for a summit aimed at deepening economic and security ties that will serve as a backdrop to emergency talks on Ukraine.

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A general view of a banner placed on the gating of the Salao Protocolar in Luanda.

(AFP)

France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz and Kenya's William Ruto were among dozens of EU and African leaders expected in Luanda amid a US-European rift over a Washington plan to end the Ukraine conflict.

Talks with African nations will centre on trade, migration and critical raw materials.

But EU minds will in part be focused on efforts to push back at a draft plan by US President Donald Trump to stop Russia's war in Ukraine, proposals initially seen as heavily tilted in favour of Moscow.

After top US and Ukrainian representatives met in Geneva at the weekend for talks on a new version of the proposal, EU leaders were to hold a "special meeting" on the sidelines of the Luanda gathering yesterday.