Former President Thabo Mbeki says he supports the South African government’s position in calling on Ukraine and Russia to engage in peaceful talks aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking to SABC News, Mbeki said the expansion of NATO near Russia’s territory was always going to be a provocative act.
Many lives have been lost in the conflict which started in February.
Mbeki says the conflict does not originate from the two countries.
“Even Winston Churchill while he was alive opposed that. He spoke openly and said it is wrong to move this organisation to the borders of what was then Soviet Union. He says it’s wrong because inevitably, it is going to produce conflict. He understood the security concern and he was very specific. We must recognise that the Soviet Union and Soviet people have got a legitimate security concern,” adds Mbeki.
In the video below, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation hosts Prof. Geri Augusto and the former president speaks about the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as the Kenyan election results among other issues:
“Kenyans must be commended for holding peaceful polls”
The former president says he is pleased that the former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga is using legal means to challenge the election results. Mbeki led the AU observer mission during the elections in Kenya in 2017.
He says Kenyans must be commended for holding peaceful polls.
As Kenya’s Supreme Court begins hearing a petition challenging the declaration of William Ruto as president-elect of that country, Mbeki says this is a good attitude from the opposition.
Mbeki is pleased that Odinga is using legal means to challenge the Kenyan election result:
