In comments that raised doubt on whether he would be regarded as a mediator by Ukraine or the West, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa blamed NATO for the crisis in Ukraine and indicated he would reject attempts to condemn Russia.
‘If NATO had listened the warnings from among its own leaders and officials over the years that its eastward expansion would lead to greater, not less, instability in the region, the conflict could have been avoided,’ Ramaphosa said in response to questions in parliament.
However, he went on to say that South Africa ‘cannot condone the use of force and violation of international law,’ a clear allusion to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Russia’s operations have been described by President Vladimir Putin as a ‘special operation’ to disarm and ‘denazify’ Ukraine and fight what he sees as NATO aggression.
Ukraine and its Western allies believe that Russia launched the unprovoked attack in order to subdue a neighbour country that Putin refers to as an ‘artificial state.’
Ramaphosa further revealed that Putin had personally assured him that conversations were progressing. South Africa’s president stated that he had not yet spoken with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but that he wished to do so.
On Friday, Ramaphosa announced that South Africa has been requested to arbitrate in the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. He didn’t say who had approached him and requested him to intercede.
‘There are people who believe we should take a highly hostile approach against Russia. We’re going to take a different approach, emphasising on conversation instead,’ Ramaphosa continued. ‘Screaming and shouting will not bring this battle to an end.’
During the Cold War, Ramaphosa’s African National Congress party, which has ruled South Africa since white minority rule ended in 1994, had close relations to the former Soviet Union, which trained and financed anti-apartheid militants.
As a result, South Africa is frequently viewed with distrust by Russia’s Western adversaries, despite the fact that it has retained a high level of diplomatic clout in relation to its economic size after its peaceful democratic transition.
‘Some are even contacting us on a role that we can play (mediating),’ Ramaphosa said on Thursday, referring to South Africa’s past refusal to join sides.
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