Cyril Ramaphosa made his first comments about being an ally of Russia during the BRICS summit hosted by Vladimir Putin. Photo credit: AP
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday (27 October 2024) sought clarification on comments he made at a summit earlier in the week, insisting he was not favoring Russia over Ukraine.
“In declaring President Putin and the Russian people ‘valued friends and allies,’ President Ramaphosa did not envisage any particular country or nation as an enemy,” the presidential palace said.
“It is through the policy of non-alignment that South Africa has been able to engage constructively with both Russia and Ukraine,” the statement said.
Mr Ramaphosa made his first comments about being Russia’s ally during the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Ramaphosa’s comments came as the Democratic Alliance (DA), a former opposition party and now a partner in the unstable coalition, said Russia and Mr Putin could not be seen as rebels, and Mr Ramaphosa’s own government This led to division within the country. Allies.
A statement from the Office of the President on Sunday (27 October 2024) said: “South Africa has maintained strong historical ties with the Russian Federation, while also enjoying friendly diplomatic bilateral relations with Ukraine.” said.
On Monday (28 October 2024), South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola will receive Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, and the talks are expected to include visa exemptions for South African officials.
“This will enable South African officials to travel to Ukraine for official peace talks without the logistical hurdles of visas,” the statement said. “This demonstrates South Africa’s commitment to strengthening the country.”
South Africa has sought to project neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine, but has been accused of leaning toward Russia.
Close ties between the two countries date back to the apartheid era, when the Kremlin supported the African National Congress’ liberation struggles.
Published – October 28, 2024 12:56 PM IST
