Russia’s Lavrov visits ally SA amid Western rivalry

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited South Africa on Monday for talks with one of his country’s most important allies on a continent that is divided over the invasion of Ukraine and related Western attempts to isolate Moscow.

Lavrov met his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor, after flying in earlier in the day on a trip some South African opposition parties and the small Ukrainian community have condemned as insensitive.

He and Pandor delivered prepared remarks in front of media before they began private talks. They were expected to hold a joint news conference at around 1000 GMT.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government regards South Africa as neutral in the Ukraine conflict and has expressed a desire to mediate.

“As South Africa we consistently articulate that we will always stand ready to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts on the (African) continent and throughout the globe,” Pandor said in her remarks, speaking alongside Lavrov.

South Africa has little trade with Russia but it is a champion of a world view, favoured by China and Russia, that seeks to undo perceived US-hegemony in favour of a “multipolar” world in which geopolitical power is more diffuse.

Pandor has repeatedly insisted that South Africa would not be dragged into taking sides, and has criticised the West for its condemnation of Russia while ignoring other issues such as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

South Africa has proclaimed impartiality on the Ukraine conflict and abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions while maintaining close relations with Russia, long a friend of the governing African National Congress when it was a liberation movement opposing against white minority rule.

The South African military is set to host a joint exercise with Russia and China on its east coast on February 17-27, which will likely further strain ties with the United States and European countries.

The exercise will coincide with the February 24 first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia calls its intervention in its southern neighbour a “special military operation”.

The South African armed forces said last week the exercise is a “means to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China”.

Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Monday that a Russian warship armed with new-generation hypersonic cruise weapons would take part in the drills.

Lavrov’s second African visit in six months comes ahead of a Russia-Africa summit, which was postponed to July from last year because of the Ukraine conflict.

There was no official public comment from the Ukrainian embassy but officials said it had asked the South African government to help push President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s 10-point peace plan, which he proposed to the G20 in November.