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SA should continue strengthening diplomatic ties with Russia: Shivambu

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu says South Africa should continue strengthening diplomatic ties with Russia and not bow to international pressure to stand in solidarity with Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine three weeks ago and has been met with stiff resistance from the Ukrainian army. Moscow says it wants to ‘denazify’ and ‘demilitarise’ Ukraine which had expressed the wish to move closer to the EU and NATO. Shivambu says the Russian invasion is a necessary military exercise.

“It’s a miss-characterisation, and it’s also part of this wave of trying to bully the world into one singular perspective, that basically represents US imperialism, and dominance and if the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was consistent, they should have condemned what happened in Iraq, they should have condemned what happened in Libya, they should have condemned what NATO did in Yugoslavia, as well. Not this selective application of justice, depending on who is on the other side of the law,” says Floyd Shivambu.

VIDEO: EFF’s Floyd Shivambu says South Africa should continue strengthening diplomatic ties with Russia

‘SA does not take side’

Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy President David Mabuza reiterated SA’s government position relating to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying South Africa does not take side in the conflict.

Mabuza said South Africa’s position is that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue. Answering questions in the National Council of Provinces in Parliament, he said there is no contradiction in the position South Africa has taken in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

He defended that the government’s decision is based on the country’s foreign policy.

“We want to re-emphasise the underlying principle of our foreign policy and our foreign relations. We are committed as a country to justice and international law in the conduct of relations between nations. We are committed to international peace and to internally agreed-upon mechanisms that will resolve conflicts. As we stated South Africa has taken a balanced position that emphasises the de-escalation of the conflict and war through peaceful negotiations and through diplomatic dialogue.”

 

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